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Games: A Love Story
Normal People meets Fifty Shades of Grey in this sharp and provocative coming-of-age debut chronicling the turbulent romance between a brilliant economics grad student and a magnetic Wall Street banker two decades her senior.
When Lili Marwan—seeking to escape the unrelenting pressures of her master’s thesis, recent rejection from her foster family, and unresolved grief from the death of her parents—has an intense one-night stand with Aleksandr Petrov, her restless mind finally goes calm.
At twenty-two, Lili is already opinionated beyond her years: whether it’s astrology, democratic socialism, veganism, or the ravages of late-stage capitalism run rampant. But when a tall, dark stranger buys her a drink in a FiDi bar, she meets her match. Aleksandr is formidable, fiercely intelligent, and infuriatingly disarming. He’s also two decades older than her, a Capricorn with a birth chart full of red flags, a neoliberal capitalist, and a strong believer in the power of free markets, having escaped the Soviet Union in its dying days.
He’s the opposite of Lili in nearly every way. He challenges her at every turn. And she can’t stay away.
Over the course of a heady New York City summer, Lili and Aleksandr reach across the divide of their differences and the decades of their lives, discovering startlingly shared experiences. Their casual arrangement—rough sex, hours where Lili does not need to make any decisions—gives way fast to an unexpected intimacy, by turns breathtaking, then devastating.
As Lili struggles to understand herself and the complicated threads of her ambition, pain, and desire, she will have to decide: is she willing to risk great loss again, for the hope of profit that is finally within reach?
When Lili Marwan—seeking to escape the unrelenting pressures of her master’s thesis, recent rejection from her foster family, and unresolved grief from the death of her parents—has an intense one-night stand with Aleksandr Petrov, her restless mind finally goes calm.
At twenty-two, Lili is already opinionated beyond her years: whether it’s astrology, democratic socialism, veganism, or the ravages of late-stage capitalism run rampant. But when a tall, dark stranger buys her a drink in a FiDi bar, she meets her match. Aleksandr is formidable, fiercely intelligent, and infuriatingly disarming. He’s also two decades older than her, a Capricorn with a birth chart full of red flags, a neoliberal capitalist, and a strong believer in the power of free markets, having escaped the Soviet Union in its dying days.
He’s the opposite of Lili in nearly every way. He challenges her at every turn. And she can’t stay away.
Over the course of a heady New York City summer, Lili and Aleksandr reach across the divide of their differences and the decades of their lives, discovering startlingly shared experiences. Their casual arrangement—rough sex, hours where Lili does not need to make any decisions—gives way fast to an unexpected intimacy, by turns breathtaking, then devastating.
As Lili struggles to understand herself and the complicated threads of her ambition, pain, and desire, she will have to decide: is she willing to risk great loss again, for the hope of profit that is finally within reach?
432 pages, Hardcover
First published June 30, 2026
About the author
Anna Maria Volkova
3 books124 followersAnna Maria Volkova lives and works in New York City. Personal family histories from within the former Soviet Union and the Middle East inform her writing, as do her professional experiences. Raised in the Pacific Northwest, she studied history and political science. Games is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 343 reviews
January 21, 2026
this book was tailor made for this exact version of me, at this exact point in my life. it cracked me open and let me free so much grief. it may as well have punched me in the fucking face
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Heart-wrenching, achingly beautiful, and insanely sharp.
The story sets up the honest and raw relationship between our characters, Lili and Aleksandr, from their very first conversation. We quickly come to learn that their two-decade age gap is somehow the smallest difference between them, because where they really differ is when it comes to their opinions on power, politics, and economics. This makes the baseline for what Lili herself calls “intellectual sparring”, and the desire Lili and Aleksandr have for each other is mirrored in this desire for debates and discussions that challenge them both continually.
Something I greatly appreciated was how much focus there was on the dialogue throughout the entire book. The communication between Lili and Aleksandr could only be described as sharp, quick, and witty. This dialogue and their back and forth truly felt both realistic to how communication works in real life, but also felt true to the characters. And in a story that is as character-focused and -driven as this one was, the pages upon pages of conversations felt essential as a way to build the connection and bond between the characters.
Other than connecting through words, Lili and Aleksandr’s relationship is additionally, maybe even majorly, formed and strengthened through intimacy and sex. These scenes are as intense and raw as the rest of the story, and while Lili uses them as more of an escape and a way to get out of her own head, this is where we see more of Aleksandr’s intense need for her; as something more than just a good time.
The story also perfectly depicted how miscommunication and misunderstandings can arise. Because here we have two people who, on the surface, are so vastly different, but they are clearly able to communicate well. Yet we see how self-preservation and old trauma made Lili shelter her feelings and made her overall just more cautious when it came to a relationship.
And as much as this is a love story, it is at its core also a story about navigating grief. It’s about how our childhood and upbringing, and essentially our trauma, shape us into the people we become and how these lived experiences dictate the choices we make as adults. We see how trauma and self-doubt can become a permanent crutch and lead to self-sabotage and deter a person from leaning on anyone in their support system.
I also think that minimising this to simply being a romantic love story is doing it a massive disservice. The platonic love in GAMES runs parallel to the love story between Lili and Aleksandr, and it feels just as tender and real. As much as Lili faces issues in her romantic relationship, she’s also met with issues and struggles when it comes to her three close friends, and I adored seeing how strong the bond and the love between them were.
This story really did cover a vast array of themes and subjects, and all throughout Anna Maria Volkova seamlessly moved us from one topic to another: sex, economics, capitalism, history, art, domination, submission, intimacy, grief, and loss.
She deserves such high praise for her ability to weave all these elements into the story in such a natural way. A way that always felt true to our characters and their arc and development.
There's no doubt in my mind that these characters, and this story, will stay with me for a long LONG time. Anna, you are so ridiculously brilliant, please let me live inside your brain !!!!!
The publisher very kindly provided this arc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
The story sets up the honest and raw relationship between our characters, Lili and Aleksandr, from their very first conversation. We quickly come to learn that their two-decade age gap is somehow the smallest difference between them, because where they really differ is when it comes to their opinions on power, politics, and economics. This makes the baseline for what Lili herself calls “intellectual sparring”, and the desire Lili and Aleksandr have for each other is mirrored in this desire for debates and discussions that challenge them both continually.
Something I greatly appreciated was how much focus there was on the dialogue throughout the entire book. The communication between Lili and Aleksandr could only be described as sharp, quick, and witty. This dialogue and their back and forth truly felt both realistic to how communication works in real life, but also felt true to the characters. And in a story that is as character-focused and -driven as this one was, the pages upon pages of conversations felt essential as a way to build the connection and bond between the characters.
Other than connecting through words, Lili and Aleksandr’s relationship is additionally, maybe even majorly, formed and strengthened through intimacy and sex. These scenes are as intense and raw as the rest of the story, and while Lili uses them as more of an escape and a way to get out of her own head, this is where we see more of Aleksandr’s intense need for her; as something more than just a good time.
The story also perfectly depicted how miscommunication and misunderstandings can arise. Because here we have two people who, on the surface, are so vastly different, but they are clearly able to communicate well. Yet we see how self-preservation and old trauma made Lili shelter her feelings and made her overall just more cautious when it came to a relationship.
And as much as this is a love story, it is at its core also a story about navigating grief. It’s about how our childhood and upbringing, and essentially our trauma, shape us into the people we become and how these lived experiences dictate the choices we make as adults. We see how trauma and self-doubt can become a permanent crutch and lead to self-sabotage and deter a person from leaning on anyone in their support system.
I also think that minimising this to simply being a romantic love story is doing it a massive disservice. The platonic love in GAMES runs parallel to the love story between Lili and Aleksandr, and it feels just as tender and real. As much as Lili faces issues in her romantic relationship, she’s also met with issues and struggles when it comes to her three close friends, and I adored seeing how strong the bond and the love between them were.
This story really did cover a vast array of themes and subjects, and all throughout Anna Maria Volkova seamlessly moved us from one topic to another: sex, economics, capitalism, history, art, domination, submission, intimacy, grief, and loss.
She deserves such high praise for her ability to weave all these elements into the story in such a natural way. A way that always felt true to our characters and their arc and development.
There's no doubt in my mind that these characters, and this story, will stay with me for a long LONG time. Anna, you are so ridiculously brilliant, please let me live inside your brain !!!!!
The publisher very kindly provided this arc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
May 9, 2026
Thoughtful. Sexy. Bracingly intelligent.
Games left me bereft. How am I meant to move on?
This novel is expansive yet exacting. Socioeconomics, poetry, ethics, art, philosophy, government, power—these aren’t ornamental references; they are debated. As a former philosophy major I was helpless before their sparring.
Beneath the intellectual rigor runs raw and deeply human themes. This is a novel about pain, suffering, and grief. About vulnerability—not as weakness, but as risk. About growth that costs something.
The writing was the first thing I loved; its quality, style, and syntax—precise, daring, deliberate. There is no faster way to my heart. An unexpected turn of phrase. An adjective deployed with surgical precision. Sentences that feel engineered rather than assembled. Craft honed to a blade’s edge. I have over 200 highlights—some spanning entire pages of debate, others marking prose too sharp not to save.
It made me feel—viscerally. I shook my fist. I kicked my feet. I hoped for intervention and hoped against the inevitable. I was intellectually provoked and emotionally unraveled.
I am supremely impressed—quietly mourning that I cannot induce amnesia just to encounter Games for the first time again.
What a singular experience this was. I cannot believe this is a debut. Mark my words: Anna Maria Volkova is one to watch. I would read anything she writes.
Who would’ve thought economies and human behavior had so much in common?
Review of advance copy received from publisher.
Games left me bereft. How am I meant to move on?
This novel is expansive yet exacting. Socioeconomics, poetry, ethics, art, philosophy, government, power—these aren’t ornamental references; they are debated. As a former philosophy major I was helpless before their sparring.
Beneath the intellectual rigor runs raw and deeply human themes. This is a novel about pain, suffering, and grief. About vulnerability—not as weakness, but as risk. About growth that costs something.
The writing was the first thing I loved; its quality, style, and syntax—precise, daring, deliberate. There is no faster way to my heart. An unexpected turn of phrase. An adjective deployed with surgical precision. Sentences that feel engineered rather than assembled. Craft honed to a blade’s edge. I have over 200 highlights—some spanning entire pages of debate, others marking prose too sharp not to save.
It made me feel—viscerally. I shook my fist. I kicked my feet. I hoped for intervention and hoped against the inevitable. I was intellectually provoked and emotionally unraveled.
I am supremely impressed—quietly mourning that I cannot induce amnesia just to encounter Games for the first time again.
What a singular experience this was. I cannot believe this is a debut. Mark my words: Anna Maria Volkova is one to watch. I would read anything she writes.
Who would’ve thought economies and human behavior had so much in common?
Review of advance copy received from publisher.
March 10, 2026
I didn’t realize this book started as fanfiction, but now that I think about it, it kind of makes sense, as it reads like a mix of tropes and nerdy references stitched together into a novel, just packaged as literary fiction. I wouldn’t call reading this a painful experience, and I finished it in one sitting. I guess this book knows exactly what it’s trying to do: first and foremost, it’s an age-gap romance novel. The problem is that I didn’t really like this book being a romance….. I know that saying it like this makes little sense, but this honestly kind of summarizes it? Anyway, let me elaborate.
The story focuses on a romantic relationship between Lili, an ambitious graduate student in economics with strong leftist views, and Aleksandr, a man twenty years her senior with a neoliberal mindset typical of a 40 y.o. banker. I think the main idea the novel tries to convey – and the reason many readers might find it appealing – is that these two people are constantly pulled toward each other despite their profound differences. Numerous discussions about economics, politics and art, apart from being quite pretentious and fanfiction-coded, serve to highlight the ideological divide between them. One could even start to wonder how such a relationship could realistically function. Someone wrote that this book reads like a romance between a girl and her sugar daddy – and honestly it’s hard to argue with that.
But putting reality aside, we all know that what pulls readers to an age-gap romance is the escapist fantasy of an older, experienced man being interested in a younger woman. And since it is 2026 and not 2006, the woman isn’t completely helpless and inexperienced, but opinionated and presented as an equal partner. Fair enough. But I have a huge problem with treating this book as an escapist treat or a romantic example. Just look at what the relationship between Lili and Aleksandr actually looks like. The BDSM sex they have is so far from safe that I honestly don’t even know how to describe it apart from saying that even 50 Shades did it better. I mean - no safe words, no real communication, zero protection. Insane. This is a story about a 40 y.o. man who is supposed to be experienced and responsible. Come on. No one should fantasize about a character like that, even if he’s well-spoken, educated, and knows Russian classics. Writing BDSM like this and framing it within a romance is a cheap move if the story doesn’t really acknowledge how problematic it actually is.
What positively surprised me though, was the clear stance this narrative takes on the Russian regime. Speaking frankly about contemporary Russia as it is – an authoritarian, repressive, and aggressive state, is still uncommon in Western media and literature. Anna Maria Volkova neither romanticizes Russian oligarchs nor does she dilute the topic, which is a big plus.
To be fair, there’s some character growth on Lili’s part – and this is probably why the book may be considered a coming-of-age story. But for me, it wasn’t enough, especially given how the book ends. So, three stars it is.
Thank You NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The story focuses on a romantic relationship between Lili, an ambitious graduate student in economics with strong leftist views, and Aleksandr, a man twenty years her senior with a neoliberal mindset typical of a 40 y.o. banker. I think the main idea the novel tries to convey – and the reason many readers might find it appealing – is that these two people are constantly pulled toward each other despite their profound differences. Numerous discussions about economics, politics and art, apart from being quite pretentious and fanfiction-coded, serve to highlight the ideological divide between them. One could even start to wonder how such a relationship could realistically function. Someone wrote that this book reads like a romance between a girl and her sugar daddy – and honestly it’s hard to argue with that.
But putting reality aside, we all know that what pulls readers to an age-gap romance is the escapist fantasy of an older, experienced man being interested in a younger woman. And since it is 2026 and not 2006, the woman isn’t completely helpless and inexperienced, but opinionated and presented as an equal partner. Fair enough. But I have a huge problem with treating this book as an escapist treat or a romantic example. Just look at what the relationship between Lili and Aleksandr actually looks like. The BDSM sex they have is so far from safe that I honestly don’t even know how to describe it apart from saying that even 50 Shades did it better. I mean - no safe words, no real communication, zero protection. Insane. This is a story about a 40 y.o. man who is supposed to be experienced and responsible. Come on. No one should fantasize about a character like that, even if he’s well-spoken, educated, and knows Russian classics. Writing BDSM like this and framing it within a romance is a cheap move if the story doesn’t really acknowledge how problematic it actually is.
What positively surprised me though, was the clear stance this narrative takes on the Russian regime. Speaking frankly about contemporary Russia as it is – an authoritarian, repressive, and aggressive state, is still uncommon in Western media and literature. Anna Maria Volkova neither romanticizes Russian oligarchs nor does she dilute the topic, which is a big plus.
To be fair, there’s some character growth on Lili’s part – and this is probably why the book may be considered a coming-of-age story. But for me, it wasn’t enough, especially given how the book ends. So, three stars it is.
Thank You NetGalley and Orion Publishing Group for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Author
there are so many things about this book that make it a “sanj” book: the way they argue themselves into falling in love, the way they relish in friction, the way they talk about power. but the thing i’m thinking about most is how the book is kind of an exercise in hegelian dialectics— not just in the content of their conversations but in the substance of the way they fall in love. that they are constantly confronted with dialectical skepticism that shatters and remakes them anew over and over. it’s in the architecture of the novel as much as it is in individual lines of dialogue- when aleksandr declares that optimism is a young person’s virtue but allows himself to hold that optimism in the very end for himself and lili- when lili decides that she is destined to be just outside of everyone else but allows herself to be on the inside with him in the very end. even in the way that their ending feels triumphant and like a surrender, like they are happily ever after and also that “happiness” is costing them both something by way of their principles. true bitter sweetness!! gemini season book for the ages !!
and I know that is tiresome for some people to read and I know this book will be divisive and I get why there is uncertainty about marketing this as a romance and I think I just don’t care. the beating heart of this book is too fucking good for that to matter (though the paris chapters could have been shorter).
better comps, in my opinion, are Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood & The Idiot by Elif Batuman.
and I know that is tiresome for some people to read and I know this book will be divisive and I get why there is uncertainty about marketing this as a romance and I think I just don’t care. the beating heart of this book is too fucking good for that to matter (though the paris chapters could have been shorter).
better comps, in my opinion, are Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood & The Idiot by Elif Batuman.
July 5, 2026
4.5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨
Oh this book scarred me.
RTC.
Oh this book scarred me.
RTC.
July 6, 2026
My expectations were high and my expectations were met. Lili is a socialist grad student and Aleksandr is the wealthy Wall Street neocapitalist with whom she embarks on a heady summer romance: Karl Marx with more kissing.
I have a lot of thoughts on this book.
The Positive:
Games is one of the best-written romances I've ever read. Volkova has this gift in patching together a series of images, sounds, and smells/flavors into a scene that would read as immature in the hands of another author, but she knows exactly how much to lay it on and when to hold back. The dialogue: realistic, witty, legitimately funny and charming. The sex: hot. and specific! Lili believes in a world with safety nets and support structures on principle, but struggles to apply that same grace to herself. Aleksandr wants everyone to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, but can't help but care for the people who need him. Sex and politics are indistinguishable in Games, and Volkova balances them with a mastery that reminds me of Cecilia Grant. I told a friend that this is a book people are going to claim is literary fiction, not romance, because they don't imagine romance is capable of this kind of nuance, skill, and...can I say bleakness lol? But a romance it is.
The Blah:
As a few others have said, there's something off about the pacing here. The Paris scenes drag, and several of the plotlines that receive heavy emphasis in the front half are resolved quickly later on, leaving them feeling unequal and vaguely unfinished. While the scenes where Lili is hanging out with her friends are among the most vibrant in the book, I never really get a grasp for who her friends are. They all feel a bit interchangeable. As an extremely personal and pointless take, I'm also fatigued with books that are About New York. I'm not sure how I've picked up so many romance novels that are About New York, but?? They frustrate me. It's not that Games does a poor job of discussing what New York symbolizes to the characters (it does a very good job of this!), but there's a sense of....name dropping of restaurants and subway lines here that rings hollow. Someone should start referencing MARTA stations in books with the same expectation of understanding that authors do with NYC.
The Disappointing:
A trend I've come to recognize in romance books is an overexplanation of interiority for female characters coupled with a lack of curiosity about male characters. Games spends an abundance of time exploring why Lili is interested in a submissive role: what it offers her that other relationships can't, how she's safe and protected in spite of/because of it, and more subtly how to develops her character over the course of the story. But we get almost nothing of the same on Aleksandr's part. Why does he want to be dominant? What does he get out of it? We know why Lili wants to be hurt, but why does Aleksandr want to do the hurting? I don't think the book needs to turn to the reader and explain away its core dynamic, but in a story that is already so aware of Lili's interiority, to have nothing from Aleksandr in that regard feels unbalanced.
This won't be a book for everyone. It stressed me OUT. I kept thinking about every friend of mine who starts seeing a guy and vanishes for months until the relationship is settled. It doesn't help to be upset. You just have to be there to support them after, whatever that looks like.
Thanks to William Morrow for the ARC/finished copy. Views are my own.
I have a lot of thoughts on this book.
The Positive:
Games is one of the best-written romances I've ever read. Volkova has this gift in patching together a series of images, sounds, and smells/flavors into a scene that would read as immature in the hands of another author, but she knows exactly how much to lay it on and when to hold back. The dialogue: realistic, witty, legitimately funny and charming. The sex: hot. and specific! Lili believes in a world with safety nets and support structures on principle, but struggles to apply that same grace to herself. Aleksandr wants everyone to pull themselves up by their bootstraps, but can't help but care for the people who need him. Sex and politics are indistinguishable in Games, and Volkova balances them with a mastery that reminds me of Cecilia Grant. I told a friend that this is a book people are going to claim is literary fiction, not romance, because they don't imagine romance is capable of this kind of nuance, skill, and...can I say bleakness lol? But a romance it is.
The Blah:
As a few others have said, there's something off about the pacing here. The Paris scenes drag, and several of the plotlines that receive heavy emphasis in the front half are resolved quickly later on, leaving them feeling unequal and vaguely unfinished. While the scenes where Lili is hanging out with her friends are among the most vibrant in the book, I never really get a grasp for who her friends are. They all feel a bit interchangeable. As an extremely personal and pointless take, I'm also fatigued with books that are About New York. I'm not sure how I've picked up so many romance novels that are About New York, but?? They frustrate me. It's not that Games does a poor job of discussing what New York symbolizes to the characters (it does a very good job of this!), but there's a sense of....name dropping of restaurants and subway lines here that rings hollow. Someone should start referencing MARTA stations in books with the same expectation of understanding that authors do with NYC.
The Disappointing:
A trend I've come to recognize in romance books is an overexplanation of interiority for female characters coupled with a lack of curiosity about male characters. Games spends an abundance of time exploring why Lili is interested in a submissive role: what it offers her that other relationships can't, how she's safe and protected in spite of/because of it, and more subtly how to develops her character over the course of the story. But we get almost nothing of the same on Aleksandr's part. Why does he want to be dominant? What does he get out of it? We know why Lili wants to be hurt, but why does Aleksandr want to do the hurting? I don't think the book needs to turn to the reader and explain away its core dynamic, but in a story that is already so aware of Lili's interiority, to have nothing from Aleksandr in that regard feels unbalanced.
This won't be a book for everyone. It stressed me OUT. I kept thinking about every friend of mine who starts seeing a guy and vanishes for months until the relationship is settled. It doesn't help to be upset. You just have to be there to support them after, whatever that looks like.
Thanks to William Morrow for the ARC/finished copy. Views are my own.
April 8, 2026
Thank you to Anna Maria Volkova, Harper Collins, & NetGalley for digital & physical galley’s of this book in exchange for my honest review.
DNF’d at 42%. I’m sorry, I really don’t like to DNF because I prefer to wholly read something but this did not vibe with me. Full review based on what I read below, *possible spoilers*.
⭐️
🌶️🌶️
I was originally excited because based on the summary it seemed like something I would naturally be interested in. I remember being younger and stealing my mother’s ‘50 Shades of Gray’ copy and really enjoying it so I figured I would think this was decent. I am so sorry but this was so so so exhausting & boring. I am over 150 pages in and NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. The writing is repetitive and feels like it’s more fluff than substance. We are still having the same capitalist vs for the greater good argument. The same group chat going off about partying. The same dilemma of thesis, work, or party. Let’s move the story along! I completely HATED the MMC. He puts his own comfort above basic needs for the rest of humanity. He is a trash human with a worthless opinion. I do not feel there is anything the author could write into the book to redeem his character. The FMC was also annoying. By all means, please advocate for those who can’t and help bring a positive change to the world but she is exactly the type of person that gives progressives and liberals the *crazy Marxist* personas so many fear to even listen to. She is coming on way too strong and aggressive from the get go. Also their spicy scenes. I hate how there was no talk about limits or comfort beforehand, why are you just choking this girl you just met????? You are 20+ years older than her, you would think he would know how to be a respectful dom???? No, he’s an asshole. There’s also no aftercare or checking in. All they do is fight about economics & Russian literature and then have borderline non-consensual sex. At 42% I could not bear to read further. I’m so sorry Harper Collins— please don’t blacklist me from your book mail or widgets, this just wasn’t the vibe for me.
DNF’d at 42%. I’m sorry, I really don’t like to DNF because I prefer to wholly read something but this did not vibe with me. Full review based on what I read below, *possible spoilers*.
⭐️
🌶️🌶️
I was originally excited because based on the summary it seemed like something I would naturally be interested in. I remember being younger and stealing my mother’s ‘50 Shades of Gray’ copy and really enjoying it so I figured I would think this was decent. I am so sorry but this was so so so exhausting & boring. I am over 150 pages in and NOTHING HAS HAPPENED. The writing is repetitive and feels like it’s more fluff than substance. We are still having the same capitalist vs for the greater good argument. The same group chat going off about partying. The same dilemma of thesis, work, or party. Let’s move the story along! I completely HATED the MMC. He puts his own comfort above basic needs for the rest of humanity. He is a trash human with a worthless opinion. I do not feel there is anything the author could write into the book to redeem his character. The FMC was also annoying. By all means, please advocate for those who can’t and help bring a positive change to the world but she is exactly the type of person that gives progressives and liberals the *crazy Marxist* personas so many fear to even listen to. She is coming on way too strong and aggressive from the get go. Also their spicy scenes. I hate how there was no talk about limits or comfort beforehand, why are you just choking this girl you just met????? You are 20+ years older than her, you would think he would know how to be a respectful dom???? No, he’s an asshole. There’s also no aftercare or checking in. All they do is fight about economics & Russian literature and then have borderline non-consensual sex. At 42% I could not bear to read further. I’m so sorry Harper Collins— please don’t blacklist me from your book mail or widgets, this just wasn’t the vibe for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 2, 2026
it isn't often that i have a book reach deep within me and pull, demanding me to engage. even less often that i feel this seen and splayed open, which is perhaps why i read in the first place.
games is a literary romance set in new york city, soaked with summer rain in inescapable heat, focusing on our two main characters: lili marwan and aleksandr petrov. lili, a democratic socialist in grad school, drowning in the grief of her parents; and aleksandr, an older wallstreet banker, fiercly neoliberal capitalist, who escaped the soviet union at a young age.
i am (to a fault) what most people would probably consider a political person, and this scratched an itch in my brain i didn't know i'd been looking for. lili and aleksandr's verbal sparring felt like watching two sides of myself play tug of war, waiting to see who would win out. and, unlike many books i've read recently, it demands something of the reader- it requires you to think, rather than simply handing information over to you. immensely refreshing.
games was sold to me as sex meets economics, and it is, but it's also about what it means to crack yourself open and let it all spill out. what your hands could hold if you let go of pain, and the strange peace that comes with surviving something. but more importantly, to build a life afterward. the ways in which we clutch power to ours chests, even to our own detriment. to let people love you. the exploration of grief and mental health, healing and friendship, and love itself had me sobbing. no, actually. like, blubbering.
it had so many of my favorite things squeezed in. european summers, novels and records, ART, dinners with friends. and, listen, as soon as the first date he took her on was a night inside the closed MET - i'm sorry. i'd seen enough. sold. and, my god. anna's writing? to die for. the descriptions, the internal monologues, i couldn't get enough. she wrote two raw characters who would do anything for one another, and i couldn't look away. i already can't wait to reread.
thank you william morrow books + anna for the free copy!
games is a literary romance set in new york city, soaked with summer rain in inescapable heat, focusing on our two main characters: lili marwan and aleksandr petrov. lili, a democratic socialist in grad school, drowning in the grief of her parents; and aleksandr, an older wallstreet banker, fiercly neoliberal capitalist, who escaped the soviet union at a young age.
i am (to a fault) what most people would probably consider a political person, and this scratched an itch in my brain i didn't know i'd been looking for. lili and aleksandr's verbal sparring felt like watching two sides of myself play tug of war, waiting to see who would win out. and, unlike many books i've read recently, it demands something of the reader- it requires you to think, rather than simply handing information over to you. immensely refreshing.
games was sold to me as sex meets economics, and it is, but it's also about what it means to crack yourself open and let it all spill out. what your hands could hold if you let go of pain, and the strange peace that comes with surviving something. but more importantly, to build a life afterward. the ways in which we clutch power to ours chests, even to our own detriment. to let people love you. the exploration of grief and mental health, healing and friendship, and love itself had me sobbing. no, actually. like, blubbering.
it had so many of my favorite things squeezed in. european summers, novels and records, ART, dinners with friends. and, listen, as soon as the first date he took her on was a night inside the closed MET - i'm sorry. i'd seen enough. sold. and, my god. anna's writing? to die for. the descriptions, the internal monologues, i couldn't get enough. she wrote two raw characters who would do anything for one another, and i couldn't look away. i already can't wait to reread.
thank you william morrow books + anna for the free copy!
Read
June 5, 2026Normal People meets Fifty Shades of Grey is actually pretty apt! For me it dragged a bit in the middle, but i was SO invested for the final third — i think the "girl who can't commit fully because she never learned how to trust relationships from a young age" is unfortunately a microtrope that speaks to me. They are such different books I can't truly compare but if the relationship dynamics in Abby Jimenez' Just For The Summer appealed to you, this has a lot of similarities on paper. Very different vibes though.
Romance continues to be the most fun genre, truly the competition is not even close!!
Romance continues to be the most fun genre, truly the competition is not even close!!
Read
January 7, 2026The book that changed my life
July 3, 2026
DNF @ 15%
this book has a lot to say about the free market, neoliberalism and the western hegemony so far and yet we know she’s going to end up with this unlikeable detestable billionaire so what’s the point? He’s going to continue to say shit like ““Nations aren’t always best positioned to preserve their own legacies.” blah blah blah and I find the entire premise super hypocritical. It’s like you want to have your cake and eat it too because on the one hand you go on about how exploitative, disgusting and reprehensible billionaires are and show off all that economic theory you’ve consumed but that goes out the window because you fell in love with this particular sad boï traumatised billionaire so it’s all okay? I’m sure he isn’t going to give up all his money and go live on a commune for her and she will ultimately benefit and so far has benefited from his money so which one is it? do billionaires suck or do they not? You criticise the fantasy but at the end of the day package it and sell it and reinforce it. I hope there’s character development on both their ends but I just don’t care for it at the moment, especially because we know how horribly the world is falling apart because of people like Aleksander. And maybe it isn’t that deep but I can’t deal with this kind of hypocrisy anymore
Also he at one points says “the free market is us all” fuck right off with the reductive bullshit
this book has a lot to say about the free market, neoliberalism and the western hegemony so far and yet we know she’s going to end up with this unlikeable detestable billionaire so what’s the point? He’s going to continue to say shit like ““Nations aren’t always best positioned to preserve their own legacies.” blah blah blah and I find the entire premise super hypocritical. It’s like you want to have your cake and eat it too because on the one hand you go on about how exploitative, disgusting and reprehensible billionaires are and show off all that economic theory you’ve consumed but that goes out the window because you fell in love with this particular sad boï traumatised billionaire so it’s all okay? I’m sure he isn’t going to give up all his money and go live on a commune for her and she will ultimately benefit and so far has benefited from his money so which one is it? do billionaires suck or do they not? You criticise the fantasy but at the end of the day package it and sell it and reinforce it. I hope there’s character development on both their ends but I just don’t care for it at the moment, especially because we know how horribly the world is falling apart because of people like Aleksander. And maybe it isn’t that deep but I can’t deal with this kind of hypocrisy anymore
Also he at one points says “the free market is us all” fuck right off with the reductive bullshit
July 1, 2026
Dear lord. This was pure, unending, drivel
March 31, 2026
Loser on loser crime
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
pre-read:
imagine my delighted surprise when upon receiving the arc i found out this started out as Darklina fanfiction
____________________________
➵ 4.5 ⭐️
HOW do I begin to process this 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Sincerely Anna, fuck you for what you put me through 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
This is one of those books that quietly and unexpectedly burrows under your skin.
Games A Love Story was intense and heartbreaking and sexy and smart and gutwrenching and it won't be for everyone, fuck may not be for a lot of people actually, especially after that plot twist, but I fell hard.
I don't even know where to start, the way this fucking hurt me by the end was soooo unexpected.
Our FMC Lili was so complicated and damaged but also smart, a survivor. She definitely had A lot of issues to work through—from her parents dying at a very young age and leaving her an orphan to not being able to feel secure enough in her environment and also flipping between not being good enough and being too much. Every time she got anxiety about the good things in her life not lasting, and the ground under her feet shifting, and just constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop—it was just beyond sad.
Her unexpected connection with Aleksandr was actually everything. At first glance, they couldn't be more different—he's older, rich, with a completely different world and economic view—their debates were so interesting and I could just read that for days, I swear this book made me twice as smart. But they were actually a lot alike under the surface—like 2 sides of the same coin.
I love how he was able to see through her bullshit most of the time, how having felt and experienced something similar he knew what she needed and managed to get through the walls she's built around herself keeping everyone away. Lili wasn't an easy person to deal with, neither was Aleksandr for that matter, but the way he just knew how to push her and handle her but also take care of her was so 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻 I have no words because she literally needed that, someone like that, so badly.
As an immigrant myself and from that part of the world I found Aleksandr very relatable on many levels. Even though I didn't fully agree with either character's economic ideology, I definitely understood why each of them felt the way they did and I loved the way they challenged their views and beliefs especially Lili's.
Now, that plot twist towards the end absolutely broke my heart for so many reasons. Even though I'd been expecting Lili to self sabotage I didn't think it will happen the way it did and everything afterwards was just so fucking tragic.
I was literally crying for like 2 hours straight during one of the last chapters and I had no idea where the story was gonna go. I cannot explain how upset I was and how much anxiety the last 2 chapters gave me, like a train wreck I just couldn't look away from. I really appreciated the way Lili's friends were not only there for her but also honest with her and weren't afraid to criticize her. (my fav was N̶i̶k̶o̶l̶a̶i̶ Jamie, I love him so much 😭🤌🏻)
I honestly don't think I can write any kind of review that will do this book and the themes in it justice.
Games is about so much more than rough sex, subspace and economics (though you get a lot of that). It's a love letter to NYC; it's also about ambition and trauma, lineages of heartbreak and loss, the meaning of home and grief and the space we carve in other people and what we mean to them.
This is one of those books that leaves you aching by the end.
eternal gratitude to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc
all quotes are from an advance copy and may differ in the final publication
imagine my delighted surprise when upon receiving the arc i found out this started out as Darklina fanfiction
____________________________
➵ 4.5 ⭐️
HOW do I begin to process this 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
Sincerely Anna, fuck you for what you put me through 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭
This is one of those books that quietly and unexpectedly burrows under your skin.
Games A Love Story was intense and heartbreaking and sexy and smart and gutwrenching and it won't be for everyone, fuck may not be for a lot of people actually, especially after that plot twist, but I fell hard.
"She wants him deeper, until she can't think about anything but him. Erase me, is what she wants to say; keep taking until she's nothing."
I don't even know where to start, the way this fucking hurt me by the end was soooo unexpected.
Our FMC Lili was so complicated and damaged but also smart, a survivor. She definitely had A lot of issues to work through—from her parents dying at a very young age and leaving her an orphan to not being able to feel secure enough in her environment and also flipping between not being good enough and being too much. Every time she got anxiety about the good things in her life not lasting, and the ground under her feet shifting, and just constantly waiting for the other shoe to drop—it was just beyond sad.
"She got very good, very young, at presenting a polished surface and keeping any depths—darkness, want, need, the ugliness of aching to be cared for—hidden."
Her unexpected connection with Aleksandr was actually everything. At first glance, they couldn't be more different—he's older, rich, with a completely different world and economic view—their debates were so interesting and I could just read that for days, I swear this book made me twice as smart. But they were actually a lot alike under the surface—like 2 sides of the same coin.
"[. . .]would she have been better off if she'd never known it could feel like his? Like parts of her were made for him, like parts of him were made for her?"
I love how he was able to see through her bullshit most of the time, how having felt and experienced something similar he knew what she needed and managed to get through the walls she's built around herself keeping everyone away. Lili wasn't an easy person to deal with, neither was Aleksandr for that matter, but the way he just knew how to push her and handle her but also take care of her was so 🤌🏻🤌🏻🤌🏻 I have no words because she literally needed that, someone like that, so badly.
"This isn't a trap, Lili."
It feels like one. The amount she wants to kiss him, the amount that she likes his hands on her.
As an immigrant myself and from that part of the world I found Aleksandr very relatable on many levels. Even though I didn't fully agree with either character's economic ideology, I definitely understood why each of them felt the way they did and I loved the way they challenged their views and beliefs especially Lili's.
". . .it's a limited world, if we only explored what compounded what we already believed. You need to test what you think, often. Our convictions and beliefs need to hold up against argument, otherwise, we're just grasping at blind faith."
Now, that plot twist towards the end absolutely broke my heart for so many reasons. Even though I'd been expecting Lili to self sabotage I didn't think it will happen the way it did and everything afterwards was just so fucking tragic.
"I want you so badly it makes me feel sick," she whispers, hoarse throat. "The not-having you, I mean—I feel sick with it."
I was literally crying for like 2 hours straight during one of the last chapters and I had no idea where the story was gonna go. I cannot explain how upset I was and how much anxiety the last 2 chapters gave me, like a train wreck I just couldn't look away from. I really appreciated the way Lili's friends were not only there for her but also honest with her and weren't afraid to criticize her. (my fav was N̶i̶k̶o̶l̶a̶i̶ Jamie, I love him so much 😭🤌🏻)
I honestly don't think I can write any kind of review that will do this book and the themes in it justice.
Games is about so much more than rough sex, subspace and economics (though you get a lot of that). It's a love letter to NYC; it's also about ambition and trauma, lineages of heartbreak and loss, the meaning of home and grief and the space we carve in other people and what we mean to them.
This is one of those books that leaves you aching by the end.
"The way he looks at her: It feels like a memory. Cold salt air, the scent of an orange."
eternal gratitude to the publisher and Netgalley for the arc
all quotes are from an advance copy and may differ in the final publication
March 24, 2026
While I'm pretty sure this book won't be everyone's cup of tea, it was definitely a hit for me. I believe I've read it at the exact right time in my life, and I feel like it found something in me that I didn't know existed.
Lili is such a complex character, with many flaws but also a character development we can notice through the chapters. She has convictions and stays strong-minded even in the face of what she criticizes, mostly today's system and those who benefits from it. Her aversion to capitalism, power imbalance and injustice was refreshing to read. However, being in her head and reading her thoughts, as rough, confusing and messy as they can be, was truly a lot. She is infuriating but through her grief, her struggles and her background, we have no choice but to love her and root for her. Her emotionally avoidant personality was clearly the result of walls built decades ago around her that seemed to be impossible to break in, even by the closest friends she's constantly surrounded with. And yet.
Aleksandr is the typical rich, powerful, two-decades-older-than-her business man. You'd never think they'd have a cordial conversation without tearing each other's head off, even less be with each other in any way. It was interesting to read about a character like him, who seemed more unbearable and self-centered than not, but that we can't help sympathize with. He's somehow more down to earth than we first would think, with understanding and patience that have to do with his childhood, his own struggles and, surely, his decades of life experience.
The details and depth of their endless conversations, more like intellectual debates and wrestling, was inspiring to read, made me realize how important it is to read books and learn from them. Lili and Aleksandr were so intense and I really appreciated the dynamic of them constantly challenging each other. Putting aside these moments, we find the incredibly raw intimate scenes, his bedroom the place where everything began and they keep learning the most about each other. It is this way they find themselves to be a complete match, Aleksandr trying to prove Lili she's more than she thinks she is and Lili just wanting to find an escape to an internal monologue full of unstoppable self-destructive thoughts, who she keeps hidden more often than not. But with him, she doesn't need to hide it and she doesn't need to form any words to say it either. Surprisingly, I teared up at many of these scenes. The author knows how to add psychological and immersive depth into them.
The main characters grow too, through the pages and chapters, which was needed. Don't get me wrong, I was here for the messiness of it all, but I could feel the ache of their miscommunication, as it often is, as well as the need for them to get a full view of the other's brain, even if they seemed to have a silent understanding. He learns to be more attentive and she learns to, at one point, open up. They go through loss, grief, guilt, hope and yearning that really makes you FEEL. There isn't a word that could describe the complexity of their relationship on its own.
On top of that, I must say I loved the writing from the get-go and was completely captivated by it. It was full of details, most times for pages, with carefulness to the characters emotions that made me want to always read more. I loved the precisions given to the major themes; art, politics, philosophy, economics, astrology. It never felt rushed to me, more like the contrary. I felt everything more deeply because of its pacing, slow because of the storyline and the prose. It is introspective, sexy, smart and totally meaningful for a twenty-three years old like Lili. There are so many quotes that stuck with me and that I resonated with. I'll be keeping her with Anna Maria Volkova's next projects for sure.
Lili is such a complex character, with many flaws but also a character development we can notice through the chapters. She has convictions and stays strong-minded even in the face of what she criticizes, mostly today's system and those who benefits from it. Her aversion to capitalism, power imbalance and injustice was refreshing to read. However, being in her head and reading her thoughts, as rough, confusing and messy as they can be, was truly a lot. She is infuriating but through her grief, her struggles and her background, we have no choice but to love her and root for her. Her emotionally avoidant personality was clearly the result of walls built decades ago around her that seemed to be impossible to break in, even by the closest friends she's constantly surrounded with. And yet.
Aleksandr is the typical rich, powerful, two-decades-older-than-her business man. You'd never think they'd have a cordial conversation without tearing each other's head off, even less be with each other in any way. It was interesting to read about a character like him, who seemed more unbearable and self-centered than not, but that we can't help sympathize with. He's somehow more down to earth than we first would think, with understanding and patience that have to do with his childhood, his own struggles and, surely, his decades of life experience.
The details and depth of their endless conversations, more like intellectual debates and wrestling, was inspiring to read, made me realize how important it is to read books and learn from them. Lili and Aleksandr were so intense and I really appreciated the dynamic of them constantly challenging each other. Putting aside these moments, we find the incredibly raw intimate scenes, his bedroom the place where everything began and they keep learning the most about each other. It is this way they find themselves to be a complete match, Aleksandr trying to prove Lili she's more than she thinks she is and Lili just wanting to find an escape to an internal monologue full of unstoppable self-destructive thoughts, who she keeps hidden more often than not. But with him, she doesn't need to hide it and she doesn't need to form any words to say it either. Surprisingly, I teared up at many of these scenes. The author knows how to add psychological and immersive depth into them.
The main characters grow too, through the pages and chapters, which was needed. Don't get me wrong, I was here for the messiness of it all, but I could feel the ache of their miscommunication, as it often is, as well as the need for them to get a full view of the other's brain, even if they seemed to have a silent understanding. He learns to be more attentive and she learns to, at one point, open up. They go through loss, grief, guilt, hope and yearning that really makes you FEEL. There isn't a word that could describe the complexity of their relationship on its own.
On top of that, I must say I loved the writing from the get-go and was completely captivated by it. It was full of details, most times for pages, with carefulness to the characters emotions that made me want to always read more. I loved the precisions given to the major themes; art, politics, philosophy, economics, astrology. It never felt rushed to me, more like the contrary. I felt everything more deeply because of its pacing, slow because of the storyline and the prose. It is introspective, sexy, smart and totally meaningful for a twenty-three years old like Lili. There are so many quotes that stuck with me and that I resonated with. I'll be keeping her with Anna Maria Volkova's next projects for sure.
July 8, 2026
4.5***
okay yes this is sexy and heady and incredibly intelligent but it’s also devastating and introspective and you will cry more than you expect
okay yes this is sexy and heady and incredibly intelligent but it’s also devastating and introspective and you will cry more than you expect
March 31, 2026
5 stars (at least) (this book will live rent free in my mind)
Thank you to William Morrow Books & NetGalley for the ARC!
GAMES: A Love Story is Anna Maria Volkova’s debut novel which, to me, is absolutely mind-boggling. This is a book that you just want to sink your teeth into. A book that makes you pace around your home, a little bit anxious, a whole lot invested, and desperate for more. GAMES is a insanely well-written novel, filled with beautiful prose, intimacy and a depth that has you reeling for at least an hour after finishing.
Through our main characters, Lili Marwan & Aleksandr Petrov, we cover a range of topics such as politics, philosophy, economics, art, and astrology. And through them we also explore the human condition. Grief, fear, happiness, sadness, desire, love, morality.
Lili is such a complex, raw, and deeply relatable character. She’s highly intelligent, stubborn, passionate, and outspoken. She’s also closed off, fearful, and struggling to work through so many heavy emotions it breaks my heart. Her grief that we see explored throughout the story, and how that shapes her, is heartbreaking & complex. She’s flawed and, at times, extremely frustrating, but also so easy to understand and care for. Her character growth throughout the story is something you can’t help but hope & root for, because she deserves so much love and happiness. I love her, my anti-capitalism gal.
Aleksandr is a complex male lead in a slightly different way. He’s older, more mysterious and self-assured. His intensity and radiating confidence is something you can feel through the pages, drawing you into him almost immediately. Uncovering pieces of him throughout the story, seeing his own walls come down, was beautiful. He’s deeply caring, scarily intelligent, powerful, flawed, and rich (of course).
Lili & Aleksandr’s romance is a rollercoaster, to say the least. The age gap of 22 years is jarring at first, but I felt as though Volkova handled this aspect extremely well! Lili and Aleksandr match each other scarily well. Their constant intellectual debates and banter made for such an addictive dynamic. On top of all of that, though, is so much chemistry, tension, and intense intimacy–both intellectually & sexually. Their relationship is messy, vulnerable, & raw. There is an intrinsic understanding between these two. Something that clicked into place almost immediately. For all the stress that they put me through, I love them a lot!!!
This book is messy, vulnerable, and, at times, frustrating. But this book is also incredibly well-written, addictive, and profound. It’s emotionally heavy at times, deeply sexy, intense, and intellectual. I didn’t want to put it down, I was greedy for more of them & more of Anna Maria Volkova’s writing. I have a strong appreciation for this book, these characters, and I know this will stick with me for a long, long time. I’ve become a fan of Volkova’s through this, and can’t wait to see what comes next!!!
Thank you to William Morrow Books & NetGalley for the ARC!
GAMES: A Love Story is Anna Maria Volkova’s debut novel which, to me, is absolutely mind-boggling. This is a book that you just want to sink your teeth into. A book that makes you pace around your home, a little bit anxious, a whole lot invested, and desperate for more. GAMES is a insanely well-written novel, filled with beautiful prose, intimacy and a depth that has you reeling for at least an hour after finishing.
Through our main characters, Lili Marwan & Aleksandr Petrov, we cover a range of topics such as politics, philosophy, economics, art, and astrology. And through them we also explore the human condition. Grief, fear, happiness, sadness, desire, love, morality.
Lili is such a complex, raw, and deeply relatable character. She’s highly intelligent, stubborn, passionate, and outspoken. She’s also closed off, fearful, and struggling to work through so many heavy emotions it breaks my heart. Her grief that we see explored throughout the story, and how that shapes her, is heartbreaking & complex. She’s flawed and, at times, extremely frustrating, but also so easy to understand and care for. Her character growth throughout the story is something you can’t help but hope & root for, because she deserves so much love and happiness. I love her, my anti-capitalism gal.
Aleksandr is a complex male lead in a slightly different way. He’s older, more mysterious and self-assured. His intensity and radiating confidence is something you can feel through the pages, drawing you into him almost immediately. Uncovering pieces of him throughout the story, seeing his own walls come down, was beautiful. He’s deeply caring, scarily intelligent, powerful, flawed, and rich (of course).
Lili & Aleksandr’s romance is a rollercoaster, to say the least. The age gap of 22 years is jarring at first, but I felt as though Volkova handled this aspect extremely well! Lili and Aleksandr match each other scarily well. Their constant intellectual debates and banter made for such an addictive dynamic. On top of all of that, though, is so much chemistry, tension, and intense intimacy–both intellectually & sexually. Their relationship is messy, vulnerable, & raw. There is an intrinsic understanding between these two. Something that clicked into place almost immediately. For all the stress that they put me through, I love them a lot!!!
This book is messy, vulnerable, and, at times, frustrating. But this book is also incredibly well-written, addictive, and profound. It’s emotionally heavy at times, deeply sexy, intense, and intellectual. I didn’t want to put it down, I was greedy for more of them & more of Anna Maria Volkova’s writing. I have a strong appreciation for this book, these characters, and I know this will stick with me for a long, long time. I’ve become a fan of Volkova’s through this, and can’t wait to see what comes next!!!
June 23, 2026
4.5 !
need to stare into the void for a few days after finishing this.
need to stare into the void for a few days after finishing this.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Stayed up until 2:30 am to finish it. Full review to come.
4.25 stars rounded down
Games: A Love Story is for when you need to get so consumed by a story that you're fully out of your own head and in the mind of another. These characters were feeling so deeply that I couldn't help but do the same.
On its surface, Games is an age gap romance with an avoidant attachment FMC who doesn't know what she wants. But honestly, this didn't feel age gap to me. Sure, it's mentioned that he's older and more experienced in the world, but emotionally and relationship-experience wise they were pretty much on the same level. And I don't mean that in a bad way whatsoever. I liked that they met one another where they were at. I related to the FMC's avoidant attachment tendencies SO HARD. I would be screaming in my head at her to just LET HIM IN and to STOP RUNNING AWAY, and then I'd think... well... you'd do (and have done) the same thing lmao.
I loved how consumed I felt by this book. Like if I didn't keep reading it, the happily ever after would take longer for the characters to get to and did I WANT to leave them in a state of limbo so I could do something as mundane as SLEEP?! Nope! So I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning so the characters could get their HEA. <3
Now, there were some things I didn't like. 1) Way too much economics talk. Soooo many philosophers names. We get it-you're smart!!! But also, these parts were easy to skim when my eyes were glazing over and I didn't miss anything important, so that's good. Lol 2) The plot did dragggg. Especially in the last 1/3. I needed her self-realization to come quicker. 3) The BDSM parts seemed... unsafe..? And this is coming from someone who only knows what I know about that world through books, so take my opinion with a heap of salt. But shouldn't consenting partners... talk about what they were doing?? Like... blacking out doesn't seem safe to me but... *shrugs* I wish there had been more communication there or at least an acknowledgement that what they were doing wasn't super healthy. But it turned out okay so... *shrugs*
ANYWAY, I love a romance with a little toxicity sometimes and this scratched that itch while also being super tender and lovely. Would recommend!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc for review.
4.25 stars rounded down
Games: A Love Story is for when you need to get so consumed by a story that you're fully out of your own head and in the mind of another. These characters were feeling so deeply that I couldn't help but do the same.
On its surface, Games is an age gap romance with an avoidant attachment FMC who doesn't know what she wants. But honestly, this didn't feel age gap to me. Sure, it's mentioned that he's older and more experienced in the world, but emotionally and relationship-experience wise they were pretty much on the same level. And I don't mean that in a bad way whatsoever. I liked that they met one another where they were at. I related to the FMC's avoidant attachment tendencies SO HARD. I would be screaming in my head at her to just LET HIM IN and to STOP RUNNING AWAY, and then I'd think... well... you'd do (and have done) the same thing lmao.
I loved how consumed I felt by this book. Like if I didn't keep reading it, the happily ever after would take longer for the characters to get to and did I WANT to leave them in a state of limbo so I could do something as mundane as SLEEP?! Nope! So I stayed up into the wee hours of the morning so the characters could get their HEA. <3
Now, there were some things I didn't like. 1) Way too much economics talk. Soooo many philosophers names. We get it-you're smart!!! But also, these parts were easy to skim when my eyes were glazing over and I didn't miss anything important, so that's good. Lol 2) The plot did dragggg. Especially in the last 1/3. I needed her self-realization to come quicker. 3) The BDSM parts seemed... unsafe..? And this is coming from someone who only knows what I know about that world through books, so take my opinion with a heap of salt. But shouldn't consenting partners... talk about what they were doing?? Like... blacking out doesn't seem safe to me but... *shrugs* I wish there had been more communication there or at least an acknowledgement that what they were doing wasn't super healthy. But it turned out okay so... *shrugs*
ANYWAY, I love a romance with a little toxicity sometimes and this scratched that itch while also being super tender and lovely. Would recommend!
Thank you to the publisher for providing me with an e-arc for review.
April 4, 2026
Hmmmm… i really enjoyed the characters in this and how fully fleshed out they felt, with backstories and actual opinions and setbacks and the same is to be said about their relationships (both romantic and platonic).
However for me there was just a bit too much of the smut, which i know their relationship in the beginning was based upon but it just became excessive and repetitive to read especially in the first half (although perhaps my fault for reading a book advertised as similar to fsog), and the extensive economics and political theory talk, which whilst i did enjoy i thought there wasn’t the right balance of it, it felt more of an information overload. I also didn’t like their 3rd act break up… but reading this did remind me of staying up late reading wattpad age gap books so!
However for me there was just a bit too much of the smut, which i know their relationship in the beginning was based upon but it just became excessive and repetitive to read especially in the first half (although perhaps my fault for reading a book advertised as similar to fsog), and the extensive economics and political theory talk, which whilst i did enjoy i thought there wasn’t the right balance of it, it felt more of an information overload. I also didn’t like their 3rd act break up… but reading this did remind me of staying up late reading wattpad age gap books so!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
I’m still processing all my thoughts but I will say I stayed up til midnight reading it, dreamt about it all night, and reread the end as soon as I woke up in the morning so …
////
The Review:
In the heat of a New York summer Lili, a free-spirited grad student who is very anti big business, meets Aleks, finance professional two decades older than her. Their chemistry is electric and who cares that they can agree on almost nothing, because it's just a flight... right?
Games is compared to Normal People and 50 Shades, but I think these are slightly misleading comps. I would compare it to Beautiful World, Where Are You? (by Sally Rooney) and Not in Love (Ali Hazelwood). (Publishers - feel free to use these. I know they are very good.) It's definitely more of a romantic literary fiction, than a romance. (Not that it's described as a romance, but just so you know.)
I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I read it ~2 months ago. Some of my feelings are mixed, but I can't deny the chokehold it has on me.
The very good feelings - The final ~25% of the book had me in a CHOKEHOLD. My emotions = Bella in New Moon which is really the strongest emotional response you can get from me.
The mixed feelings - the book is quite long and I felt like there wasn't a ton of conflict in the first 75%. The main conflict comes through very wordy socio-economic debates. I had no idea what they were talking about, but it did make me want to learn so I give points for that.
I can't stop thinking about this book. I want to reread this book. I want you to read this book and talk to me about it. I'm looking forward to whatever Volkova writes next.
////
The Review:
In the heat of a New York summer Lili, a free-spirited grad student who is very anti big business, meets Aleks, finance professional two decades older than her. Their chemistry is electric and who cares that they can agree on almost nothing, because it's just a flight... right?
Games is compared to Normal People and 50 Shades, but I think these are slightly misleading comps. I would compare it to Beautiful World, Where Are You? (by Sally Rooney) and Not in Love (Ali Hazelwood). (Publishers - feel free to use these. I know they are very good.) It's definitely more of a romantic literary fiction, than a romance. (Not that it's described as a romance, but just so you know.)
I haven't stopped thinking about this book since I read it ~2 months ago. Some of my feelings are mixed, but I can't deny the chokehold it has on me.
The very good feelings - The final ~25% of the book had me in a CHOKEHOLD. My emotions = Bella in New Moon which is really the strongest emotional response you can get from me.
The mixed feelings - the book is quite long and I felt like there wasn't a ton of conflict in the first 75%. The main conflict comes through very wordy socio-economic debates. I had no idea what they were talking about, but it did make me want to learn so I give points for that.
I can't stop thinking about this book. I want to reread this book. I want you to read this book and talk to me about it. I'm looking forward to whatever Volkova writes next.
Read
February 24, 2026After getting about 30% of the way through this story my belief that this book and its subject matter were not for me was solidified and I did not think it would be fair for me to continue with this book and my review. Unfortunately as this was an ARC and without reviewing I was at risk of ruining my review score on Netgalley, I had no choice but to continue. The subject matter within this story is quite esoteric and feels pretentious with inaccessible language for what I feel like will be a majority of readers. While marketed as a love story, it didn’t feel like one at all and instead just felt like a lecture.
May 1, 2026
3.75 ⭐️ my god this book stressed me tf out (to the point I had to stop reading bc I was literally forgetting this is fiction!!!!!!). that said, I love toxic relationships/characters/stories so obviously that worked for me here. the issue was all the socioeconomic stuff which (sorry) was extremely boring and unfortunately it took up basically the entire first half of the book. after that the second half was just pain & suffering omg for a second I didn’t think I’d be able to finish it bc it HURT but in the end it was worth it. this is a book that’s gonna stay in my head for a long time but it’s definitely not for everyone
April 8, 2026
After being recommended this book by Ali Hazelwood, I immediately ran to get the arc. The premise sounded right up my alley, and I was excited to read it.
However, this book was DRAINING! It gets too heavily political/philosophical at parts, and it honestly just lost me. I really enjoyed the beginning, but after about five chapters, I just couldn’t take it anymore.
I simply did not care about this book in the slightest.
However, this book was DRAINING! It gets too heavily political/philosophical at parts, and it honestly just lost me. I really enjoyed the beginning, but after about five chapters, I just couldn’t take it anymore.
I simply did not care about this book in the slightest.
Want to Read
December 17, 2025Yes please, and thank you.
June 20, 2026
This book was not what I expected it to be with the byline of Normal People meets Fifty Shades of Gray. However, I am so glad about that because I LOVED this novel. Games: A Love Story by Anna Maria Volkova was heartbreaking and healing all at the same time.
Games: A Lovestory follows the tumultuous romance, that takes place over a whirlwind NYC summer, between Lili, an economics graduate student, and Aleksandr, wall street CEO. This book was filled with intimacy, steamy romance, economic philosophy, found family and more.
Lili is a wicked smart twenty-two year old economics grad student studying at Columbia University. I found the way she moved through her relationships and how she didn't want to be a burden on friends to be very relatable. The way she grows throughout this novel was so incredible to read. It was heartbreaking at times because Volkova's writing was so descriptive and visceral. But through the pain, Volkova also brings us along for Lili's joy and hope too.
Aleksandr is also not what I expected. He is a down bad wall street CEO. He will do almost anything for Lili. I really enjoyed getting to know his character, his backstory, and his own trauma's that he's been working through.
As someone who's lived in NYC for almost 10 years, this was such a great novel set in the city. It's told through a whirlwind summer. It really honors the city and it's quirks. I could definitely picture all the characters as real people who live here. Often I was like "yup, I can see that vibe from this group."
This audiobook was also fantastic. Jessica O'Hara-Baker is a wonderful narrator. She brought such a performance to the narration. She definitely helped with feeling the devastation. Jessica did a great job with all the different characters and their voices. I felt like I was in this story the whole time with this audiobook.
This is not your typical romance novel, the way this story is told through Lili's point of view makes it feel more coming of age as she grows throughout the novel. This is truly a love story that will make you cry, laugh, and cheer. Games is an emotional and vulnerable read so make sure you're in a good place before diving in.
I cannot wait to see what's next from Anna Maria Volkova. I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for more!
Thank you so much to William and Marrow and HarperAudio for the eARC and ALC to review! This review reflects my own opinions.
Games: A Lovestory follows the tumultuous romance, that takes place over a whirlwind NYC summer, between Lili, an economics graduate student, and Aleksandr, wall street CEO. This book was filled with intimacy, steamy romance, economic philosophy, found family and more.
Lili is a wicked smart twenty-two year old economics grad student studying at Columbia University. I found the way she moved through her relationships and how she didn't want to be a burden on friends to be very relatable. The way she grows throughout this novel was so incredible to read. It was heartbreaking at times because Volkova's writing was so descriptive and visceral. But through the pain, Volkova also brings us along for Lili's joy and hope too.
Aleksandr is also not what I expected. He is a down bad wall street CEO. He will do almost anything for Lili. I really enjoyed getting to know his character, his backstory, and his own trauma's that he's been working through.
As someone who's lived in NYC for almost 10 years, this was such a great novel set in the city. It's told through a whirlwind summer. It really honors the city and it's quirks. I could definitely picture all the characters as real people who live here. Often I was like "yup, I can see that vibe from this group."
This audiobook was also fantastic. Jessica O'Hara-Baker is a wonderful narrator. She brought such a performance to the narration. She definitely helped with feeling the devastation. Jessica did a great job with all the different characters and their voices. I felt like I was in this story the whole time with this audiobook.
This is not your typical romance novel, the way this story is told through Lili's point of view makes it feel more coming of age as she grows throughout the novel. This is truly a love story that will make you cry, laugh, and cheer. Games is an emotional and vulnerable read so make sure you're in a good place before diving in.
I cannot wait to see what's next from Anna Maria Volkova. I will definitely be keeping my eyes out for more!
Thank you so much to William and Marrow and HarperAudio for the eARC and ALC to review! This review reflects my own opinions.
July 8, 2026
I absolutely loved how Games handles discussions about politics, art, careers, beliefs, and morality. The conversations are long, layered, and full of genuine back and forth, but they never felt boring. You can tell how much research Anna did because every debate feels informed, nuanced, and believable.
Watching Lili and Aleksandr clash over their different perspectives was fascinating. Neither of them is always right, and that’s exactly what made their relationship work for me. They challenged each other in ways that felt authentic, and I loved seeing how those conversations shaped their connection.
The middle section felt a little too long at times, but honestly… I would’ve happily read another 200 pages. I devoured this in one afternoon and never wanted to put it down.
Now, let’s talk about Aleksandr Petrov.
The man that you are.
I genuinely think he was written specifically for me. Tall gringo? Looks like bad news? Hilarious? Scary smart? Yeah… that’s exactly my type.
I also loved the way the central conflict was handled. Even though it all stemmed from a misunderstanding, the emotional aftermath felt incredibly real. There was hurt, messiness, and difficult conversations, but what I appreciated most was that Lili actually took the time to reflect, hold herself accountable, and slowly open herself up to him again instead of rushing toward a perfect resolution. It made the ending feel so much more earned.
And the fact that this is Anna’s debut novel? Incredible. I don’t know her personally, but I’m so proud of her. She’s clearly brilliant, and I have a soft spot for brilliant people.
I’m so happy my gut feeling about this book was right. I desperately needed a new favorite, and this one absolutely became one. 💛
Watching Lili and Aleksandr clash over their different perspectives was fascinating. Neither of them is always right, and that’s exactly what made their relationship work for me. They challenged each other in ways that felt authentic, and I loved seeing how those conversations shaped their connection.
The middle section felt a little too long at times, but honestly… I would’ve happily read another 200 pages. I devoured this in one afternoon and never wanted to put it down.
Now, let’s talk about Aleksandr Petrov.
The man that you are.
I genuinely think he was written specifically for me. Tall gringo? Looks like bad news? Hilarious? Scary smart? Yeah… that’s exactly my type.
I also loved the way the central conflict was handled. Even though it all stemmed from a misunderstanding, the emotional aftermath felt incredibly real. There was hurt, messiness, and difficult conversations, but what I appreciated most was that Lili actually took the time to reflect, hold herself accountable, and slowly open herself up to him again instead of rushing toward a perfect resolution. It made the ending feel so much more earned.
And the fact that this is Anna’s debut novel? Incredible. I don’t know her personally, but I’m so proud of her. She’s clearly brilliant, and I have a soft spot for brilliant people.
I’m so happy my gut feeling about this book was right. I desperately needed a new favorite, and this one absolutely became one. 💛
July 5, 2026
My Selling Pitch:
If Ali Hazelwood wrote Tiffany Reisz’s Original Sinners and let Sally Rooney write the pillow talk. Porn for Capricorns.
Pre-reading:
The cover gives Fifty Shades in the WORST way but where Ali Hazelwood points, I go.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Are we sure Ali Hazelwood didn’t write this because it’s the same writing tone in the best way?
And unfortunately, every burnt out eldest daughter felt that, and that’s why we’re all kinky now.
I fear that is my exact type.
Oh baby, I can clock a Capricorn man on nothing. That natal chart said narcissist, pervert, and impulsive, and I love to see it. I would eat him alive. I’m also a Capricorn Scorpio. I just got Virgo to finish me off to make me even more of a control freak. Also, he’s a biter. All Scorpios are biters. This is science.
Hey, so I fear this is the exact fantasy.
Like the exact fantasy.
Like need this biblically.
I mean, skip the choking, but everything else…90% on board.
Unfortunately, I am a pretentious bitch, and I do want old libraries and heavy cufflinks.
Hey, so if you like Ali Hazelwood and Tiffany Reisz’s Original Sinners, you’re gonna love this. This is catnip.
I don’t know anything about money, and I don’t care to. (You know this book almost convinced me to pick up a Financial Times. She almost got me.)
I had to read The Fountainhead, and I did not like.
The writing is a little quirky where it just lists off imagery, but I don’t mind it. It kind of gives that blurred, cinematic montage effect.
Hey, so I fear cutting his name off like that just reads as Alexa, like the robot, and it did fully just take me out of this.
Do I love that he’s going down on her without her consent ahead of time? No! But also being woken up with sex is such a common fantasy, like shit is hot. We’re in a gray area.
I need this man biblically. We’re 7% in. That’s obscene. I don’t think I’ve latched onto a man as fast as this since Run, Run Rabbit, and we all know how I feel about that book.
Hey, so I need this man biblically. Every time I’m like oh yeah, it’s okay. I can be chill about this. I can be normal. No no, I fear she’s reached directly into my head and plucked him out.
I don’t know how to tell you I’m only 7% in, and this isn’t going to be a book I’m able to be normal about. (To be fair, I feel like all the books I’m not normal about, I know right away.)
Like we can cut it here. I will be five starring this. It’s going to be embarrassing how effusive my praise of this is going to be.
When I say these men are a threat to my own feminism, I do mean that because there’s certain phrases in this that are raising my hackles, and I’m STILL like haha, no, I NEED him. Like I don’t like to see a description likening her to a child during a shower sex scene. That’s icky. But the furious nodding sensation? Oh girl, we been there.
Why didn’t they give this book dual narration? This is criminal. (I tapped out on the audiobook and just read it with my eyeballs.)
This is the second book I’ve read this year where emotionally shunted girl cries during sex for catharsis, and you know, I’ve found my people.
Also, on this episode of Samantha, you can’t highlight the whole goddamn book-
I feel like announcing fuck me till I cry on main is a little much, but you know, I didn’t come here to lie to you!
Reading is political.
She really said here’s your smut, you filthy animals. Now I’m gonna learn you some things about the government. (And like it worked. I can be bribed into philosophy discussions with the promise of good dick.)
I wish I knew all these references, but I almost never read classics.
I think a lot of girls are struggling with the I need to be liberal, I want equal rights, but also I just want a man to take care of me because the world is so bad and they have it so much easier and life is built for partnership and community and it’s really hard to go it alone mindsets right now.
I actually can’t function reading this book because I want that man.
I wish I were better versed in philosophy and politics to get all the references this is making, but oh my god, if you’re a kinky sapiosexual, god help you with this book.
I googled the painting. I get it. That’s sexy. Literally illustrated biblical penetration and orgasms are called the little death for a reason.
I don’t like his favorite painting.
I like all the feisty economic and religious commentary. It’s a dog fight. I’m into it.
Oh, this book makes me unwell I want him, exactly him. Like the dirty talk is perfect.
DID I MENTION UNWELL.
He said leave limping, and my immediate response was do it, and the book was also like do it, and I’ve never felt so seen.
I don’t know how to tell you that you will also like Run, Run Rabbit if you like this book. They are similar men. You will respond to it.
I want him.
I love banter. I need him biblically.
Literally if it’s not like this, I don’t want it.
That’s even my wine taste, jesus.
They really do expect us to pay. It’s horrible.
All interesting men have tried it.
God, this book is intellectual porn.
Oh, come on. You can’t basically put you are hungry and I respect hunger in this book and expect me to act normal. Are you kidding me? That’s my favorite quote I’ve ever read.
We’re the same kind of creature. She just has the advantage of thinness. Like there is a noticeable gap in this book’s commentary about that. This book collapses if she’s not stunningly beautiful so everyone around her treats her nicely. She is kinda peak pretty privilege.
I feel like this is validating my I think some kinks are self-harm. I didn’t say you couldn’t want to self-harm. And I love that he’s furious about it.
I swear to god, if he breaks up with her after this for her safety, I’m gonna lose my mind. (We are safe…for now.)
“I got pushed as far as I asked, and I’m not entirely sure what I found inside myself.” Oh my god, pornography
I feel like anyone emotionally healthy is gonna be deeply concerned by this book, and all the rest of us are just like haha yeah…
This book is so fucking good.
That is the entire point of thought.
She’s really overusing coheres this chapter, and I haven’t had an issue with any of the vocabulary up until now. (To be fair, this is the arc copy, so it may have been corrected for the final.)
I feel like this book is gonna make me cry with the exactness of how much I want this.
OK, but what bad thing is gonna happen because we’re 40% in, and I think they can end right here. Roll credits. Let them be happy. I don’t wanna read on and get sad.
Hey, so if I don’t get a him, I would rather be alone.
She hasn’t blown him yet, and I feel cheated because there’s no way I could resist that kind of power over that man. (We never do.)
I have decided I don’t like the audiobook. I can’t get over her voice for him.
Oh hello, my favorite movie. She wrote this just for me.
I want him so bad.
A man who will fuck you stupid and appreciates your intellectual work-like I just, it’s this or nothing.
I love the East Coast.
She eats a lot of apples in this book.
Elijah would make me hate Brooklyn.
I do genuinely love oat milk, but this book needs to chill about it.
This book hasn’t been happy, but the relationship is so functional, that I’m going to crash out when it inevitably goes wrong because it has to to have plot, but like oh my god, this or nothing. He doesn’t need to be this ungodly rich, but this attitude or nothing. I would rather die alone.
Fuck me til I cry superiority. Idk what to tell you. There’s so many sex scenes in this book, and you’d think I would get tired of them, or they would get repetitive, but they don’t.
I fear he is one of the hottest men that’s ever been written.
Yeah, I feel like every girl has endured sex she doesn’t want in an effort to feel something or avoid something.
We’ve overused bleached as well.
Her friends really are wonderful and the glamour and romanticism of this novel is really buoyed up by their wealth which sure fits thematically but who just gets to HAVE that.
They better get back together I swear to god.
The way this man is heartbroken at how much she hates herself every single time is so healing.
I’m staunchly anti-kid, but my heart does squeeze anytime two characters want to start the family that they never got to have together.
Post-reading:
What can I even say about this book without catching a public indecency charge? If you like Capricorn men, if you were also punished with that brand of brain disease, hello, this is a book for you. She really said you can have your cake and eat it too; I’m gonna write intellectually stimulating lit fic and cram absolutely filthy kink into it.
Some people are gonna argue that there’s too much sex. Some people are gonna be wrong. You’d think the scenes would get repetitive, but they don’t. They’re so hot. They’re so emotionally charged. His dirty talk is so good. If you like it rough or have a size kink, I hope you’re prepared to feast.
I think her self-harm inner monologue is painfully accurate. I know the third act breakup is gonna piss people off, but it fits her character. She’s 23, guys.
All the political and economic and religious examinations were genuinely fascinating. I loved their banter. I wish I had more of a background in this to understand all the references, but I think if you regularly read lit fic, you can get enough from context clues and Google. But like you will have to work to read this book. It is not a mindless silly goofy good time smutty read.
And as much as I loved it, I think there are some places where the book could be improved. Nothing’s so egregious that I would even consider dropping my rating by a half star. There’s a handful of words that are incredibly overused. I was reading my arc copy, so it may have been corrected in the final, but using coheres that many times and that closely together was criminal work. There’s a lot about oat milk for no real reason. Bleached is wildly effective the first time, but loses its punch when it keeps popping up in the scenes.
You can make an argument that this book is wildly hypocritical. At the end of the day, it is a billionaire romance fantasy which doesn’t exactly jive with critiquing wealth disparity and capitalism. She’s supposed to be struggling and that’s part of their class divide, but her friends are loaded and paying for everything. The interactions with her friends in general felt a little shallow. It’s a lot of partying, and granted they are in their early 20s, but her friends ended up feeling more like quirky accessories than real concrete characters. It cheapens some of her arguments to have her going after his policies like a terrier with a rat, but then she’s fine with the more bohemian easy wealth of her friend group.
We never get a resolution about her job and her thesis. The book cuts off before we do which seems a little silly because we spent so much time on it earlier.
And like there is this level of absurdity to the book. You want me to believe that man falls for a 23-year-old vegan? But like that’s the fantasy. If you’re insecure and a little brilliant, the dream really is let me have this accomplished person validate my intelligence and care for me even when I show them the very worst of myself. You can want unrealistic things.
The kink in this isn’t super ethical. You know they never sit down and hash out safe words and limits, but that’s kind of the point. She’s very much using it to self-harm, and he’s down bad and trying to indulge her every wish. I think the saving grace to this is that you can always tell he’s trying to please her rather than getting off on the violence. Their darkest scene is him being heartbroken by her asking him to do that to her, and him begging her to want more for herself. And like it ain’t healthy, but if you’re toxic, you’re gonna respond to it. So the people complaining that this isn’t a healthy BDSM relationship are so correct, but the book doesn’t pretend that it is. You’re just allowed to think bad things are hot. Maybe try some therapy, but-
I don’t know what else to say. I basically highlighted the whole goddamn book. It’s excellent. It’s going on my all time favorites list. I will read anything this author puts out. I’m shocked that this is a debut.
Who should read this:
Capricorn girlies
Sapiosexuals
Fuck me til I cry fans
Sally Rooney fans
Tiffany Reisz fans
Ideal reading time:
Summer
Do I want to reread this:
YES
Would I buy this:
At the 7% mark, I knew I was gonna give this five stars, and I bought the book from BOTM.
Similar books:
* The Siren by Tiffany Reisz-lit fic, erotica, kink, queer, religious commentary
* Intermezzo by Sally Rooney-lit fic, family drama, mild kink, autism, social commentary
* Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood-contemporary, workplace romance, mild kink, autism
* Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood-contemporary, age gap romance, family drama, mild kink
* Liquid by Mariam Rahmani-lit fic, rom com retelling, family drama, queer, social commentary
* Run, Run Rabbit by C. M. Nascosta-now hear me out. is this werewolf smut?maybe! But the MMC is the same brand of dommy asshole suit and you’re gonna like him. Urban fantasy, romance, kink, family drama
* Dom-Com by Adriana Anders-contemporary, workplace romance, kink
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
If Ali Hazelwood wrote Tiffany Reisz’s Original Sinners and let Sally Rooney write the pillow talk. Porn for Capricorns.
Pre-reading:
The cover gives Fifty Shades in the WORST way but where Ali Hazelwood points, I go.
(obviously potential spoilers from here on)
Thick of it:
Are we sure Ali Hazelwood didn’t write this because it’s the same writing tone in the best way?
And unfortunately, every burnt out eldest daughter felt that, and that’s why we’re all kinky now.
I fear that is my exact type.
Oh baby, I can clock a Capricorn man on nothing. That natal chart said narcissist, pervert, and impulsive, and I love to see it. I would eat him alive. I’m also a Capricorn Scorpio. I just got Virgo to finish me off to make me even more of a control freak. Also, he’s a biter. All Scorpios are biters. This is science.
Hey, so I fear this is the exact fantasy.
Like the exact fantasy.
Like need this biblically.
I mean, skip the choking, but everything else…90% on board.
Unfortunately, I am a pretentious bitch, and I do want old libraries and heavy cufflinks.
Hey, so if you like Ali Hazelwood and Tiffany Reisz’s Original Sinners, you’re gonna love this. This is catnip.
I don’t know anything about money, and I don’t care to. (You know this book almost convinced me to pick up a Financial Times. She almost got me.)
I had to read The Fountainhead, and I did not like.
The writing is a little quirky where it just lists off imagery, but I don’t mind it. It kind of gives that blurred, cinematic montage effect.
Hey, so I fear cutting his name off like that just reads as Alexa, like the robot, and it did fully just take me out of this.
Do I love that he’s going down on her without her consent ahead of time? No! But also being woken up with sex is such a common fantasy, like shit is hot. We’re in a gray area.
I need this man biblically. We’re 7% in. That’s obscene. I don’t think I’ve latched onto a man as fast as this since Run, Run Rabbit, and we all know how I feel about that book.
Hey, so I need this man biblically. Every time I’m like oh yeah, it’s okay. I can be chill about this. I can be normal. No no, I fear she’s reached directly into my head and plucked him out.
I don’t know how to tell you I’m only 7% in, and this isn’t going to be a book I’m able to be normal about. (To be fair, I feel like all the books I’m not normal about, I know right away.)
Like we can cut it here. I will be five starring this. It’s going to be embarrassing how effusive my praise of this is going to be.
When I say these men are a threat to my own feminism, I do mean that because there’s certain phrases in this that are raising my hackles, and I’m STILL like haha, no, I NEED him. Like I don’t like to see a description likening her to a child during a shower sex scene. That’s icky. But the furious nodding sensation? Oh girl, we been there.
Why didn’t they give this book dual narration? This is criminal. (I tapped out on the audiobook and just read it with my eyeballs.)
This is the second book I’ve read this year where emotionally shunted girl cries during sex for catharsis, and you know, I’ve found my people.
Also, on this episode of Samantha, you can’t highlight the whole goddamn book-
I feel like announcing fuck me till I cry on main is a little much, but you know, I didn’t come here to lie to you!
Reading is political.
She really said here’s your smut, you filthy animals. Now I’m gonna learn you some things about the government. (And like it worked. I can be bribed into philosophy discussions with the promise of good dick.)
I wish I knew all these references, but I almost never read classics.
I think a lot of girls are struggling with the I need to be liberal, I want equal rights, but also I just want a man to take care of me because the world is so bad and they have it so much easier and life is built for partnership and community and it’s really hard to go it alone mindsets right now.
I actually can’t function reading this book because I want that man.
I wish I were better versed in philosophy and politics to get all the references this is making, but oh my god, if you’re a kinky sapiosexual, god help you with this book.
I googled the painting. I get it. That’s sexy. Literally illustrated biblical penetration and orgasms are called the little death for a reason.
I don’t like his favorite painting.
I like all the feisty economic and religious commentary. It’s a dog fight. I’m into it.
Oh, this book makes me unwell I want him, exactly him. Like the dirty talk is perfect.
DID I MENTION UNWELL.
He said leave limping, and my immediate response was do it, and the book was also like do it, and I’ve never felt so seen.
I don’t know how to tell you that you will also like Run, Run Rabbit if you like this book. They are similar men. You will respond to it.
I want him.
I love banter. I need him biblically.
Literally if it’s not like this, I don’t want it.
That’s even my wine taste, jesus.
They really do expect us to pay. It’s horrible.
All interesting men have tried it.
God, this book is intellectual porn.
Oh, come on. You can’t basically put you are hungry and I respect hunger in this book and expect me to act normal. Are you kidding me? That’s my favorite quote I’ve ever read.
We’re the same kind of creature. She just has the advantage of thinness. Like there is a noticeable gap in this book’s commentary about that. This book collapses if she’s not stunningly beautiful so everyone around her treats her nicely. She is kinda peak pretty privilege.
I feel like this is validating my I think some kinks are self-harm. I didn’t say you couldn’t want to self-harm. And I love that he’s furious about it.
I swear to god, if he breaks up with her after this for her safety, I’m gonna lose my mind. (We are safe…for now.)
“I got pushed as far as I asked, and I’m not entirely sure what I found inside myself.” Oh my god, pornography
I feel like anyone emotionally healthy is gonna be deeply concerned by this book, and all the rest of us are just like haha yeah…
This book is so fucking good.
That is the entire point of thought.
She’s really overusing coheres this chapter, and I haven’t had an issue with any of the vocabulary up until now. (To be fair, this is the arc copy, so it may have been corrected for the final.)
I feel like this book is gonna make me cry with the exactness of how much I want this.
OK, but what bad thing is gonna happen because we’re 40% in, and I think they can end right here. Roll credits. Let them be happy. I don’t wanna read on and get sad.
Hey, so if I don’t get a him, I would rather be alone.
She hasn’t blown him yet, and I feel cheated because there’s no way I could resist that kind of power over that man. (We never do.)
I have decided I don’t like the audiobook. I can’t get over her voice for him.
Oh hello, my favorite movie. She wrote this just for me.
I want him so bad.
A man who will fuck you stupid and appreciates your intellectual work-like I just, it’s this or nothing.
I love the East Coast.
She eats a lot of apples in this book.
Elijah would make me hate Brooklyn.
I do genuinely love oat milk, but this book needs to chill about it.
This book hasn’t been happy, but the relationship is so functional, that I’m going to crash out when it inevitably goes wrong because it has to to have plot, but like oh my god, this or nothing. He doesn’t need to be this ungodly rich, but this attitude or nothing. I would rather die alone.
Fuck me til I cry superiority. Idk what to tell you. There’s so many sex scenes in this book, and you’d think I would get tired of them, or they would get repetitive, but they don’t.
I fear he is one of the hottest men that’s ever been written.
Yeah, I feel like every girl has endured sex she doesn’t want in an effort to feel something or avoid something.
We’ve overused bleached as well.
Her friends really are wonderful and the glamour and romanticism of this novel is really buoyed up by their wealth which sure fits thematically but who just gets to HAVE that.
They better get back together I swear to god.
The way this man is heartbroken at how much she hates herself every single time is so healing.
I’m staunchly anti-kid, but my heart does squeeze anytime two characters want to start the family that they never got to have together.
Post-reading:
What can I even say about this book without catching a public indecency charge? If you like Capricorn men, if you were also punished with that brand of brain disease, hello, this is a book for you. She really said you can have your cake and eat it too; I’m gonna write intellectually stimulating lit fic and cram absolutely filthy kink into it.
Some people are gonna argue that there’s too much sex. Some people are gonna be wrong. You’d think the scenes would get repetitive, but they don’t. They’re so hot. They’re so emotionally charged. His dirty talk is so good. If you like it rough or have a size kink, I hope you’re prepared to feast.
I think her self-harm inner monologue is painfully accurate. I know the third act breakup is gonna piss people off, but it fits her character. She’s 23, guys.
All the political and economic and religious examinations were genuinely fascinating. I loved their banter. I wish I had more of a background in this to understand all the references, but I think if you regularly read lit fic, you can get enough from context clues and Google. But like you will have to work to read this book. It is not a mindless silly goofy good time smutty read.
And as much as I loved it, I think there are some places where the book could be improved. Nothing’s so egregious that I would even consider dropping my rating by a half star. There’s a handful of words that are incredibly overused. I was reading my arc copy, so it may have been corrected in the final, but using coheres that many times and that closely together was criminal work. There’s a lot about oat milk for no real reason. Bleached is wildly effective the first time, but loses its punch when it keeps popping up in the scenes.
You can make an argument that this book is wildly hypocritical. At the end of the day, it is a billionaire romance fantasy which doesn’t exactly jive with critiquing wealth disparity and capitalism. She’s supposed to be struggling and that’s part of their class divide, but her friends are loaded and paying for everything. The interactions with her friends in general felt a little shallow. It’s a lot of partying, and granted they are in their early 20s, but her friends ended up feeling more like quirky accessories than real concrete characters. It cheapens some of her arguments to have her going after his policies like a terrier with a rat, but then she’s fine with the more bohemian easy wealth of her friend group.
We never get a resolution about her job and her thesis. The book cuts off before we do which seems a little silly because we spent so much time on it earlier.
And like there is this level of absurdity to the book. You want me to believe that man falls for a 23-year-old vegan? But like that’s the fantasy. If you’re insecure and a little brilliant, the dream really is let me have this accomplished person validate my intelligence and care for me even when I show them the very worst of myself. You can want unrealistic things.
The kink in this isn’t super ethical. You know they never sit down and hash out safe words and limits, but that’s kind of the point. She’s very much using it to self-harm, and he’s down bad and trying to indulge her every wish. I think the saving grace to this is that you can always tell he’s trying to please her rather than getting off on the violence. Their darkest scene is him being heartbroken by her asking him to do that to her, and him begging her to want more for herself. And like it ain’t healthy, but if you’re toxic, you’re gonna respond to it. So the people complaining that this isn’t a healthy BDSM relationship are so correct, but the book doesn’t pretend that it is. You’re just allowed to think bad things are hot. Maybe try some therapy, but-
I don’t know what else to say. I basically highlighted the whole goddamn book. It’s excellent. It’s going on my all time favorites list. I will read anything this author puts out. I’m shocked that this is a debut.
Who should read this:
Capricorn girlies
Sapiosexuals
Fuck me til I cry fans
Sally Rooney fans
Tiffany Reisz fans
Ideal reading time:
Summer
Do I want to reread this:
YES
Would I buy this:
At the 7% mark, I knew I was gonna give this five stars, and I bought the book from BOTM.
Similar books:
* The Siren by Tiffany Reisz-lit fic, erotica, kink, queer, religious commentary
* Intermezzo by Sally Rooney-lit fic, family drama, mild kink, autism, social commentary
* Not in Love by Ali Hazelwood-contemporary, workplace romance, mild kink, autism
* Problematic Summer Romance by Ali Hazelwood-contemporary, age gap romance, family drama, mild kink
* Liquid by Mariam Rahmani-lit fic, rom com retelling, family drama, queer, social commentary
* Run, Run Rabbit by C. M. Nascosta-now hear me out. is this werewolf smut?maybe! But the MMC is the same brand of dommy asshole suit and you’re gonna like him. Urban fantasy, romance, kink, family drama
* Dom-Com by Adriana Anders-contemporary, workplace romance, kink
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
Did Not Finish
April 8, 2026Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for the advanced reading copy.
Unfortunately, I could not bring myself to finish this story. The writing was not at the level that I could enjoy. And the order of events felt very sloppy; especially with the erotic elements not being handled/introduced with more care.
Unfortunately, I could not bring myself to finish this story. The writing was not at the level that I could enjoy. And the order of events felt very sloppy; especially with the erotic elements not being handled/introduced with more care.
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