Games: A Love Story

by Anna Maria Volkova

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?

Genres: Romance, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Contemporary, Adult Fiction, Adult, Literary Fiction

432 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication June 2, 2026

About the author

Anna 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.

Reviews

[daisy · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Erica Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[lily the brainless bookworm]

The book that changed my life

[jenna 💘✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

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!!!

[lau · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

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?

[Yennefer]

Yes please, and thank you.

[macy · Rating 3 out of 5]

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!

[witchy_book_babe]

Thank 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.

[Katie Grimes]

After 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.

[lou · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5*

I haven’t stopped thinking about Games since I finished it. Lili Marwan, an extremely bright, devoted and ambitious economics graduate student meets Aleksandr, a Wall Street neoliberal capitalist CEO two decades her senior. They are narrative foils and utterly incompatible and yet that's how they work so well. They find an intellectual match in each other and what begins as casual rough sex and stimulating socioeconomic conversation, develops into something staggeringly intimate. Lili is confronted by her convictions in the face of Aleksandr for which she both pushes against and shies away from. The novel is wrought with contradictions and I think that's one of the things I loved most about it, it is unapologetically human. It's messy, the lines are blurred, it creates walls just to tear them down.

You, she thinks. You are a hunger that keeps existing past the point of satiation, for me.

I especially appreciated the nuances afforded to Aleksandr's character. In the beginning I kept wondering how the author was going to pull it off. How is she going to make me root for, or at the very least, empathize with a character that is guided by such abhorrent beliefs? To which the answer is.. It’s complicated. He is shaped by his background of a childhood in a dying Soviet Union and while the novel doesn’t ask you to accept his principles or beliefs, it offers a non-western perspective. Nothing here is all black or white.

Their relationship is largely developed through sex scenes that hinge more on the erotic as opposed to smut (if you're someone who categorizes a difference between the two). Every sex scene–and there are a lot of them–truly excavates something more from their characters and fleshes out what they mean to each other. We learn just as much about them through sex as we do through their philosophical debates. I hesitate to mention the bdsm elements here because that implies some level of boundaries or communication, to which there isn’t, really. Understandably, that won’t be to everyone’s preferences but it worked for me. There are no clear or discernible lines between them and I kind of reveled in the messiness.

The writing, I think, had its positives and negatives. On one hand, it was overwrought at times. In the first act it can be suffocating, where it leans towards overly descriptive and repetitive. On the other hand, you are forced to endure Lili’s mental state with her, and it is why I feel the writing complemented act three the best. All her anguish, heartbreak and fear bleed off the page–her grief is palpable. And when she finally breathes, you breathe with her. Its not perfect and again, won’t be everyone's cup of tea, but god it makes you Feel something. Although I will say that there was definitely room for a larger rumination, or rather more hesitancy from Lili as she benefits from the very capitalist systems she critiques.

Volkova weaves together a meditation on socioeconomics, art, grief and loss, submission, philosophy, power, wealth, morality and ultimately a hope for the future. Lili and Aleksander both sacrifice parts of themselves for a chance at happiness. Yes it was hot, but more than that it has substance(!!!) which is something I’ve been dying for in my romance lately. Games: A Love Story offers many points of contention for readers but if you’re willing to give it a chance and accept it for what it is, it's likely not to disappoint.

[Sanjana · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[Magdalena (magdal21) · Rating 3 out of 5]

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.

[Veronica ☽◯☾]

imagine my delighted surprise when upon receiving the arc i found out this started out as Darklina fanfiction

[Natalie Andrews · Rating 4 out of 5]

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 …

[Taylor Dauchy · Rating 1 out of 5]

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.

[RavenCantRead · Rating 3 out of 5]

Games: A Love Story

This is pitched as if Norma People met Fifty Shades and let me tell you - that is very apt!

Lili, a grad student in New York, meets Aleksandr, an older rich investment banker. Their one night stand turns serious very quickly but Lili doesn’t want to admit it’s anything more than sex…

I have very mixed feelings about this one if I’m being entirely honest. There were some very beautiful moments and the end was well done (I cried lol) but the book was so loaded with walls of dialogue about economics or info dumps regarding backstory that didn’t feel earned in the context of the scene.

The sex is very much going to be the draw for a lot of readers and you can tell that the smut was written by a former FF author bc they’re the ones who do it best! That being said I did find their lack of conversation surrounding sex a bit frustrating. He doesn’t even ask her if she’s on BC until they’ve already been having very unprotected sex for weeks and weeks and there are no safe words implemented and the aftercare is…????

The whiplash of the rough sex with the economic debates was…something? That’s not to say they were two warring themes in the book, they are very much relevant to each other, the characters and the relationship that develops, but reading it felt jarring at times and exhausting at others.

So while I think the character development of Lili was done well and don’t mind the story as a coming-of-age, the rest of it felt a bit heavy handed to me. The writing was fine but overwrought in moments and the spice was definitely spicy! Lilis friends were pretty awesome though, I really loved themz

There is an audience for this, I just don’t think it was for me.

Thank you WilliamMorrow and NetGalley for the e-arc In Exchange for my honest review!

[Demi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Games is an unconventional love story. It doesn’t fit into neat tropes – there is no golden retriever boyfriend and black cat girlfriend – and therefore it may not immediately appeal to the romance book(tok) readers. And while I hope that people will pick this up and read until the final word, I’m not worried; this book will find its audience and community. I discovered this story many years ago in a different source and I’m so happy to love Lili and Aleksandr as much as the original. What Anna did with this story was give it life, and, as a wise man once said, life is messy. I’m here for all the messy parts and for every story Anna wants to share with the world. All I want out of a good story is hope, and Anna nailed it. (ARC provided by NetGalley)

[liz ౨ৎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

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.

[Liv ☾ · Rating 5 out of 5]

this book is a work of art, that’s all i can say right now.

full review to come!

[Liz · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is a very specific flavor of literary adult fiction that I find myself constantly sniffing for on the air. As someone who studied literature in college and now teaches it, I enjoy literary fiction that is sexy, but I want it to feel intentional—sex as a narrative device; sex as both a lens and subject of analysis. I want to think about it afterwards. I want it to leave me simmering, grinding my teeth at the lingering taste, turned on but not necessarily satisfied. I want the sex I read to tell a story, and I want the characters who are having it to matter to me.

I want to read books like GAMES.

Before I say anything else, let me be clear: GAMES knows exactly what it is. A masterpiece, obviously – but I will save my fangirling for further down. I’m talking about how incredibly intentional and self-assured this novel is. I think that, more than anything, is why I am so obsessed with it. For me, the magic of GAMES lies in the care that Volkova takes with every single word. Every description matters. Nothing is taken for granted. Her words do work. The end result is a story that practically writhes with tension and possibility. “Buzzy” isn’t enough to describe the way this novel makes me feel!

Consider the epigraph (and you should: again, every word matters.) Stacking Solzhenitsyn and Foucault on a page, the particular quotes selected – we know exactly where we are going from the beginning, who we are about to meet, where their minds and hearts live and what that means for the collision of their lives. All of that in two quotes. Volkova is having the time of her life from the onset, and that in itself is delicious to witness.

I am not a professional reviewer by any means. This is a freeform of my journey through this book (admittedly not my first, or even second). But I hope my manic glee is good evidence for why GAMES is so special and why everyone should read it:

The story takes place over the course of a hazy New York City summer, where graduate student Lili Marwan is finishing her thesis, toasting the season in the company of close friends, and definitely not looking for love. Neither is Aleksandr Petrov, the handsome and politically abhorrent CEO who takes her home from a bar one night and rocks her world. First: hot. But what follows is perhaps one of the most breathtaking love stories I have ever read.

Lili is a revelation. My Gemini genius is so beautiful and brilliant and relentless and heartbroken. I keep reaching for words: tenacity, but that feels too cutesy. Rigorous, but that feels almost bland? Maybe because it implies something measured – discipline with intention, but not necessarily feeling – when the reality of Lili Marwan is more frictive. I know people throw around “disaster queen” but she’s more than that to me. Lili is forever wrangling herself in, setting herself loose on her goals, and panicking when her own ferocity disobeys her. I relate to the intensity of her emotions because I, too, have strained against the contradictions of what I think, what I feel, and what I want.

Loud parties and mezcal smoke on the tongue. Verbal sparring that accelerates my pulse. Penthouses and tangled bedsheets, New York City in the summertime; crossing continents, chasing the night but never managing to fade into it the way she wants to – Lili falls in love and it's unbearable. Have we not all been there, in some fashion? Hating that we need something we swore we never wanted? Reaching for connection but distrustful when it deepens? The intimacy of Lili’s struggles leaves me gasping, and I love it. Volkova may be debuting, but she is a master of character work already.

Speaking of characters: Aleksandr. Where to begin. Since this novel is written in Lili’s POV, we experience Aleksandr through her lens. When Lili turns around at the bar and sees him for the first time, we all say “Fuck.” People will talk about how sexy he is. People will call him daddy and husband, and the real freaks (me) will say things that might get them censored in mainstream internet spaces. To quote Lili, “it is frankly unfeminist” what this man does to us poor readers.

It’s not just that he’s fine as hell—and he is, goddamn. Aleksandr is Lili’s intellectual and political foil. He is everything Lili can’t stand: a neoliberal capitalist whose breathtaking wealth repulses her socialist sensibilities. Too bad he is also intelligent, perceptive, and refuses to fit cleanly into the categories she assigns him. (Also, he’s 6’4” and I’m going to need more people to start talking about that.) The way they chafe against each other says so much about them individually, and part of what makes Aleksandr such a fascinating character is to see him become someone no one in his life, including himself, could have expected. It’s not that he’s a man in love. He is this man in love with this woman, softened in ways that might be frankly triggering to some characters (pour one out for Michael, I see you, baby.) They are so opposite, and not exactly complimentary, and yet. They fit. They work. It drives Lili crazy and that absolutely tickles Aleksander. It might be what most endears me to him.

“Intellectual sparring” is less rabid than whatever Lili and Aleksandr have going on. I would caution readers who didn’t come for the politics and academic debates in this book not to brush them off. This book wants you to try new things and reimagine what a spicy novel can be. It pushes us to engage with Lili and Aleksandr’s conversations as much as possible, because it’s how we get to know them as people. If you’re like me, you may not be familiar with all the thinkers, texts, and art mentioned, and that is okay. You can still appreciate the deeper emotional purpose of these conversations. Lili wants security and freedom. She pushes Aleksandr and thrills when he pushes back. She will never cower to a man, but she also wants to be relieved of the burden of always reining herself in. Aleksandr understands all of this and even empathizes in his own ways. He may be less obviously spooked by the intensity of their relationship, but that doesn’t mean he’s unaffected. It’s a deeper sort of commiseration at play between them, attunement against all odds. Lili wants love on her own terms, but she needs love that doesn’t ask permission. Aleksandr gives her that. He lets her be, until he doesn’t. Ready to prod and bait, ready to take over the moment Lili gives him the green light. Intellect and debate, the rush of challenge; Aleksandr doesn’t just welcome the fight, he chases it, too. Their banter has teeth, but it serves as the basis of genuine intimacy between them.

(As someone married to a Gemini, I know exactly what this is like. My husband is aggressively intelligent and thinks academic debate is a love language. I am not Aleksandr—for starters, I’m a Cancer—but I appreciate what he’s up against.)

Lili and Aleksandr’s intellectual warfare lends urgency to their sexual relationship. It exposes anxieties and old wounds, and it doesn’t always heal them. Lili vacillates between “I want him to fuck me” and “I want him to like me.” She finds the latter sentiment extremely offensive—“It doesn’t matter what she thinks, what he thinks. It doesn’t matter if they disagree. That isn’t what this is.” (Spoiler: that’s exactly what this is.) Readers will have a lot to say about some of the choices Lili makes in response to these emotions. I personally can’t see how their story would go any other way. Not after everything we learn about Lili and Aleksandr, their lives, their hurts. Volkova tells the truth about her characters. She spares no feelings, and I am grateful for the honesty with which she handles these characters and this story. She is tender, but she does not coddle. It gives Lili and Aleksandr power: power to love, to hurt themselves, to hurt each other. They struggle, they learn, they dig their heels in. They give in and change. It’s perfect. They’re perfect.

Take your time with this book. Don’t skip anything. Reread, find something tucked between moments that you didn’t notice before. This is such a gift! To have a story that unfolds over and over, that never stops bearing out on the page. It’s what makes a book more than a book. It is the beginning of conversations, of fandom, it is the type of story that inspires headcanons that take over social media and becomes a universe in its own right. It’s what turns a book into a phenomenon, and I fully believe that is what we are about to witness GAMES become.

Also: this book is so, so hot. That cannot be overstated. Their sex is fraught and dirty and aggressive and consuming, and I wouldn’t have it any other way because that is how they build intimacy. They do so unwittingly, accidentally, begrudgingly. Their sex is crucial to the narrative because of how it flays them both, how it exposes them to each other and to us as readers. Thank goodness for that! I do not say that ironically, but emphatically. I am so grateful that this book writes sex with such precision and desperation. Isn’t that what we crave, no matter how much we pretend otherwise? Lili certainly expends considerable effort trying to prove she doesn’t need the sex she has with Aleksandr, and watching her fall deeper in love despite her best intentions is almost as satisfying as watching Aleksandr give in to his obsession pretty much from the start (I don’t care what anyone says, that Capricorn is a lover boy!)

I imagine some people will complain that Lili and Aleksandr’s sex is unsafe. I don’t necessarily deny that. What I will not condone is a sweeping critique of depicting unsafe sex in media, as I rarely see people having critical discussions on the topic. More often, the issue boils down to kink shaming and moral posturing. It is one thing to say “I don’t like this kind of sex.” But to say that writing about characters who DO enjoy it is inherently problematic or irresponsible—and thus implying that such writing should not exist in the first place—is the kind of conservative non-argument that I find extremely uninteresting and, frankly, stupid. It makes me think of something a professor once told me: it’s not enough to take issue with something. If you want to critique a piece of writing (academic or otherwise) you must make sure you are doing so on the work’s own terms. To do anything else would be intellectually lazy.

(Besides: our girl knows what she wants in the bedroom, and if anyone is the “bully” in this relationship, it is definitely Lili!)

I love the full cast of characters and the relationships between them. We see so much love and care within Lili’s circle, and her friends—Jackie, Amina, and Jamie in particular—represent a platonic counterpoint to the romantic love she has with Aleksandr. Their bonds are different but no less strong, and even when Lili falls back on old avoidant habits, they don’t let her easily retreat. On Aleksandr’s side, we have Michael Vasiliev, who is my favorite character of all and the real hero of this story. My love for Michael, like his irritation for Lili, is boundless. Volkova has invented the enemies-to-enemies trope with these two. Michael had me cackling.

I know there has to be more after this book. The world Volkova has created is so full and vivid and I simply refuse to believe this is all we get of Lili and Aleksandr. I want more conversations, more passionate sex and sharp debate, their back and forth over the years and their children, new characters alongside beloved ones, more story, more heartbreak, more joy, I want more.

I know I’m not alone. GAMES is the kind of book that will only grow in fandom spaces, as ripe for academic analysis as it is for the moodboards and social media AUs that make online life so vibrant. People will form their own headcanons. They will superimpose these characters onto an ever-expanding pop culture landscape (the economics and astrology memes? The TikToks? It has already begun.) Simply put, this is the kind of book people can’t stop talking about. In the end, perhaps that is what any novel should strive for: a spellbound reader, earnest in their hysteria, cycling through denial that it is over and hope that it isn’t.

So let’s get to the point: give us Profit and Loss. We know it exists. We’ve been dreaming of it, catching glimpses, squealing in our seats and rubbing our grubby hands together for what feels like ages. I’m looking at you, William Morrow. Don’t play coy with me. I’ll say it with my chest. I’ll say it to anyone who will listen. GAMES opened the door, but Profit and Loss is the main event. I know it in my fucking bones.

I received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

[﹕ · Rating 5 out of 5]

if you tear through my skin, tissue and ribs you’ll find this book nestled into my heart.

[Laura AP · Rating 4 out of 5]

senta que lá vem resenha: primeiro de tudo, me interessa muito saber quem gostariam de captar como público alvo dessa história. porque para uma ex-fic darklina, querem obviamente dissociar completamente do histórico de escrita, então o público não é esse. para um romance, tem discussões demais sobre economia e marxismo e um final não suficientemente feliz. para um coming of age literário, tem sexo violento demais, risos. para quem gosta de romance com sexo, não tem sexo o suficiente! o resumo é que provavelmente foi feito para pessoas como eu e minha namorada e olhe lá, mas não consigo imaginar muito mais gente que vai se interessar por todas essas explorações. e como o objetivo de comprar livros hoje em dia é saber para que público se quer vender, eu justamente fico mais intrigada: quem vai comprar esse livro?????

como dá para ver, é um livro bastante peculiar. eu gostei no geral da escrita apesar de por vezes ser forçadamente abstrato daquele jeito bem fanfiqueiro rebuscado, com parágrafos imensos de milhões de descrições desconexas, metáforas de luz e sombra eternas (afinal, precisa da piscadela para a inspiração darklina). a coisa mais interessante é que a autora de fato conseguiu enfim transferir a dinâmica "enemies to lovers" para um cenário contemporâneo, e que não é uma menina brava porque o coleguinha dela roubou todos os clipes da mesa dela no trabalho (graças a deus, sério). a lili é uma vegana marxista fã de astrologia de 23 anos e o aleksandr (sim, darklina, já mencionei?) um bilionário russo de 45 que trabalha com fundo de investimento e genuinamente acredita no poder do capitalismo desenfreado. a atração que os dois tem um pelo outro é evidente, e fica mais divertido quando dá para notar que a linguagem de amor do aleksandr é Atos de Perturbação, considerando que tudo que eles fazem é discutir quando não estão transando.

só que aí como tudo isso é bem estabelecido e os dois são ideologicamente opostos... é muito difícil ficar convencido de fato de que os dois são capazes de entrar em um consenso de convivência e se moldar aos modelos de um romance mais tradicional TM, que no fim é meio que o ponto de um livro centrado em romance. especialmente quando a jornada da lili fica muito mais introspectiva sobre a interioridade da própria depressão/ansiedade do que necessariamente para atravessar esse obstáculo ideológico que a autora se esforçou tanto para estabelecer logo de início. (não vou entrar na questão do age gap porque vocês devem imaginar que eu sou A Favor, tem uma cena que um garçom confunde os dois com pai e filha, good fucking soup). eu até acho bom esse aspecto de priorizar a internalidade dos personagens e a forma como se relacionam, os obstáculos de sentimentos, quem eles são, no que acreditam, porque contribui para o relacionamento dos dois em si, porque no geral de fato ter um relacionamento com outra pessoa é você superar suas questões internas e ir caminhando com outra pessoa, que também está resolvendo as questões internas dela.

só que aí fica irrisório os dois serem ideologicamente opostos - uma coisa que era super tão proeminente no começo e que a narrativa reforça constantemente na dinâmica -, e aí quando decidem se encontrar no meio, fica um gosto um pouco amargo, no sentido de que deixa muito mais evidente a imaturidade da menina... como se depois que você decidisse que ama um cara, tudo bem deixar seus princípios éticos de lado kkkkk. por mais que tenha tentado contornar de tantas formas, o final dos dois decidindo ficar juntos se resume a isso: tudo bem amiga vc é uma tonta de 23 anos e beleza dar pra um bilionário porque você acha ele gato! vc não vai mudar o mundo e nada do que vc acredita é muito relevante!

resultado final é que uma premissa de opostos e debate sobre o que significa perdoar, o que significa comprometer, o que significa a incerteza na vida quanto ao amor e às pessoas... não cumpre o que promete e deixa de lado o aspecto que era interessante e reforçado no começo só para juntar um casalzinho. para a vida do aleksandr, inclusive, gostar da lili não altera em quase nada: ele só parece um otário porque é mais um velho em crise de meia idade comendo uma mina novinha, surtando por causa de tonteira de uma menina cuja moleira nem fechou. (parto do princípio também que acho que estou mais perto do aleksandr de idade do que da lili, e eu preferia pular de uma ponte a passar por essas situações. tudo bem que eu muitos dias preferia pular de uma ponte por qualquer coisa, mas se eu tivesse que conviver com essa circunstância, reforçaria a ideação.) também gostaria que ela deixasse o aleksandr errar mais — clássico problema de um personagem "vilanizado", que não tem o direito de errar como a mocinha porque ela já detesta ele por princípio por ele já ser detestável. nesse, o erro do relacionamento é da lili, mas ele fica quase em um pedestal que deixa o personagem menos interessante e menos humano do que ele poderia ser. refletindo no completo, a proposta da narrativa se esvazia e só vira mais um romance sem destaques

fiquei oscilando o tempo todo entre dar 3 ou 4 estrelas, o que é uma classificação irrelevante em um sistema que só faz sentido na minha cabeça, mas ele merece 4 só por ter me feito digitar tudo isso para as 2 pessoas que vão ler (sofia e emily)

enfim se vocês acharam essa resenha comprida deveriam ouvir os literais podcasts que mandei pra sofia enquanto lia, deve ter dado o equivalente das horas de audiobook

[Katherine · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is really, really something. It’s another fanfiction romance ((in)famously my favorite genre), but this time I didn’t consume the original IP, so I don’t know how it stacks up against its origin. What I do know is that this book is trying to be something much, much more than an escapist romance—and I don’t know that it’s successful in meeting that goal.

GAMES sets up interesting tensions right from the beginning, pairing 23-year-old Lili, a half-Lebanese Econ grad student, with 45-year-old Aleksandr, a long-ago Russian emigrant who now heads up some kind of major asset management firm. Lili has leftist politics, dead parents, and strong interests in urban farming, veganism, and astrology (got all that?). Aleksandr is a strong proponent of capitalism and a supposed workaholic who has a suspicious amount of time to develop an encyclopedic knowledge of economic theory, art, music, and literature. Their shared interests consist of drinking, extraordinarily rough sex, and arguing.

So! How are *these* two going to end up together? It’s a question with all kinds of fascinating avenues to explore. Lili is young, untethered, with apparently unlimited potential (almost everyone Lili meets tries to offer her a job) and unparalleled brains (we are told this, but whether her intelligence is actually supported by her conversations and actions is another matter). Aleksandr is older and far more experienced, set in his ways and perspective. Class, gender, ethnic origin, politics, an age gap wider than the Grand Canyon—is love enough to bridge those divides?

The differences between them seem more insurmountable, and therefore more interesting, from Lili’s perspective. She claims to abhor much of Aleksandr’s way of life—the easy way he wields his power, the downstream effects of how he makes his money—while also enjoying the trappings of his wealth. Her closest friends, too, are wealthy, and Lili doesn’t hesitate to take advantage of their charming vacation homes and gorgeous NYC apartments. The closest Lili comes to struggling with money in this book is getting a low balance alert from her bank after paying for a plane ticket to Paris. The book I hoped this would be would have truly interrogated the wide gulf between Lili’s stated politics and the way she lives her life, and what she might be giving up by choosing Aleksandr. But that is not the book we got.

What GAMES ends up feeling like is Volkova’s attempt to show how smart she is—and she IS extremely smart, don’t get me wrong—while ultimately wanting to write a fantastical romance about an orphan girl falling in love with a sugar daddy, lol. The book implies that the conversations Lili and Aleksandr have are mutually gratifying and equally weighted, but they feel more like Aleksandr teaching Lili about the world. And the second half of the book avoids grappling with any of the major tensions set up in the first half, reverting to a story where only Lili and Aleksandr and their love for each other matters. The book starts off appearing concerned with global material concerns—poverty and food insecurity and environmental decay—but ends in a bubble only big enough to contain the two main characters.

The writing almost made me stop reading. It’s better than some of the slop in the romance section, and Volkova clearly has a distinct style, but that style is really annoying lol. She absolutely loves to list sensory details in a construction that gets so unbelievably repetitive I felt like I was going crazy. Here, I’ll give it a try. *She writes her review in the cocoon of her basement while her husband plays music in the next room—hiss of central air, tufts of dog hair, patter of drum set, snow a blanket outside.* Now imagine 400+ pages of that. There’s also such an absurd amount of name dropping. Theorists, artists, musicians, books, designers, brands. It’s tiresome. We know you know things!!

This self indulgence is, and I truly believe this, a result of this book being fanfic. That’s what fanfic is—a way for authors to throw in references to all their favorite things, to show off their knowledge in their area of expertise, while writing about love and sex and romance between their favorite characters. It’s fun in fanfic, and often endearing. It just doesn’t translate the same way to original work.

I did think the third act romantic conflict was quite well done. If you ignore the fact that the book, again, just dispenses with all the big and thorny questions it set up at the beginning, the resolution of Lili’s and Aleksandr’s story is satisfying. But you have to ignore a lot.

Finally, I would be remiss if I didn’t mention the insane sex in this book, lol. This is not, for better or for worse, a manual for a safe BDSM relationship. There are no contracts, no safe words, and barely even any conversations. The sex can be disturbing. I think that’ll make a lot of readers mad, but it’s also refreshing in a batshit way.

I don’t think this book reaches its potential, but I’m sure many girlies will love it. For all my issues, it avoids some of the truly nauseating infantilization, treacly cuteness, and therapization happening in many contemporary romances. So it might be worth a shot for you!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 ⭐️

There are books you read that fulfill their purpose, entertain you, and then there are others that completely change you, leaving you in a whirlwind of intense emotions and thoughts.
Games undoubtedly belongs to the second category.
I started this book expecting an intense, provocative story, with that irresistible tension that often accompanies romances with an age gap. And yes, I got all of that. There's chemistry. There are steamy scenes. But I also found something much more ambitious, and at times, more challenging than I anticipated. That's why I think it's absolutely necessary to divide this review into parts or main points, since Games, in my opinion, is much more than a love story!

Romance/Characters Relationship

The relationship between the characters is honest, raw, and passionate. There's desire, power, pride, and beyond all of that, admiration. Aleksandr doesn't belittle Lili, he sees her.
And she, despite all her doubts, slowly learns not to run from his gaze. From beginning to end, I was completely captivated by their relationship in the best possible way. There were so many moments where I smiled so hard, or kicked my feet with excitement at reading certain interactions between them!
The intimate scenes are hot as hell, and although they go far beyond desire, attraction, and initially, each character's personal goals, I personally found myself enjoying them more than I thought I would. It had been a long time since I'd read a spicy romance this good. Every moment filled with tension, passion, and longing between Lili and Aleksandr brought me back to life, making me realize how much I would think about this book after I finished it.

Emotions/Loss and Grief

The way the author addresses trauma and grief, that old wound that Lili specifically learns to hide under layers of sarcasm and desire, left me speechless. Volkova doesn't romanticize suffering; she shows it for what it is, a force that distorts decisions, contaminates relationships, and pushes us to sabotage what we most desire.
In Games, loss and pain seep into decisions, silences, in discussions that apparently deal with politics but are actually about abandonment, guilt, and the fear of not being enough. Some pages feel almost too honest, as if the author decided not to soften anything. This might be heavy for those seeking a light read. But it's also what gives this story its depth.

Politics/Economics

In Games, politics and economics aren't used as sophisticated scenery; the author makes ideas matter, encourages discussion, confrontation, and ultimately transforms them into bridges. The characters don't just desire each other; they challenge each other intellectually, test each other, and dismantle each other. Their conversations are dense, sometimes demanding, and may be difficult for many to follow if they are not used to that type of debate, but all this intellectual and political density is what makes much of the relationship between Lili and Aleksandr feel different.

Mention of Art

Art plays a very important role in this book; it is a source of conversation and appreciation for the characters, both alone and when they are together.
This makes Games an inspiring and intellectual book in many ways, immersing you in an artistic sea where each piece tells a story and forms part of the protagonists' own.

Characters Personalities

Lili is a hurricane, a one-of-a-kind creature. She is neither naive nor malleable; she is brilliant, impulsive, sometimes self-destructive. So human it hurts. She's a character I empathized with and identified with at many points, but I won't lie, I did get a little frustrated at times with some of her arguments, though not in a completely negative way. But I absolutely love her with all my heart, and oh my god, she's freaking iconic, wild, and daring-she's our beautiful, chaotic, silly Gemini.

Aleksandr (or should I say daddy?) is, to say the least, an interesting character, incredibly intelligent, powerful, dominant, and proudly a capitalist monster (and I know you were waiting for me to say that, freaking hot). You have no idea how refreshing it was to read an MMC like him, to learn about his views and perspectives.

The atmosphere felt unique and immersive, making me feel like I was right there on the streets of New York, in the places mentioned, with Lili and her friends, Lili and Aleksandr. I could see every moment so vividly in my head, and it felt like the best experience ever.

To conclude, I want to say that Games is not a light read, although I wish I could say so. It goes far beyond sex, romance, and what you might expect to happen. It's a book that sparks debate, makes you think, and reconsiders concepts and ideologies. But it's honest, ambitious, and features emotionally courageous characters with clear ideas.
This book alone demonstrates how intelligent the author is, but I'm still surprised that, for a debut, it's incredibly self-assured. The writing is meticulous, and I feel that Volkova isn't aiming for easy consumption, but rather wants the reader to participate. And while that might scare some, it's also what makes the novel feel singular and unique.
All that remains for me to say is that Games met my expectations and more, and I truly believe that even this review won't do justice to how much I love and appreciate this story. Anna Maria Volkova has just gained a fan, and I can't wait to read her future works.

Thank you, William Morrow, for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Games: A Love Story” by Anna Maria Volkova

5⭐/5⭐
5🌶/5🌶

“Lili looks at him, then. Oh, the fucking heart sear of it: how much she wants this man, how much she keeps wanting this man.”

Before I start my review, there are a couple of things I should mention about the story. They are spoilers, and I’ll put them under a spoiler cut. However, I know some readers will consider them hard lines and may not want to read the story if they knew it contained these details:

There is a scene where cheating is involved. It is described on-page, as is the fallout. It is very explicitly cheating, there’s no murkiness on whether it fits that definition.

The ending is a HFN (happy for now) rather than a HEA (happily ever after). The story ends on a promising note, with hope for the future. But there is no concrete resolution for the couple, there will undoubtedly be work ahead for both of them if they are to establish a true relationship.

If a reader is fortunate, they discover books that become the example of what future books need to live up to. The story becomes the bar, so to speak, that any new book gets compared to. I’ve read several of these books, but then again, I read a lot of books every year. “Games” has, without question, fallen into this category. I had a bookish sixth sense about this story, and I’m so pleased I was right: this book is worth every bit of hype and acclaim.

Addressing the elephant in the room: yes, this was originally fanfic. However, that made me all the more interested in reading this story. Some of the best fictional stories I’ve ever read either started as fanfic, or *are* fanfic. It’s also worth mentioning that this author has a very unique writing style. Dialogue is drawn out, sometimes for pages, and chapters are quite long. There are only ten chapters in total, some of which are extremely lengthy. Inner thoughts meander and intersplice with current events. That’s all to say, this author’s writing style isn’t for everyone; but it sure worked for me.

I found the story to be so intense, and I cried afterwards. You really bond with Lili through her struggles, even if you cannot personally relate to the decisions she makes (and she makes plenty of poor decisions). The author does a great job drawing readers further into Lili’s psyche, reassuring them, and then finally delivering a brutal blow that leaves readers no choice but to find out how the pieces can all be put back together. Can they? Is it even salvageable?

The story is set in New York City, and told in a single POV. Lili Marwan is a graduate student studying economics. She has an eclectic group of friends, loves her job, and feels confident in her world view and anarchist beliefs. Everything gets shifted off its axis when she meets Aleksandr, a man twenty years her senior and a staunch capitalist. It starts as no-strings-attached rough sex, but quickly becomes so much more for both of them.

It would be easy to say “this is a story about an age-gap romance”, but it’s so much more than that. I’d argue Lili’s character arc as she navigates unresolved childhood trauma *is* the primary story. She was orphaned at a young age, thrust into the foster care system, and has longed for someone to ground her. She yearns for unconditional acceptance, which was torn from her when her parents passed away. And all along the way, she has learned to guard herself in unhealthy ways. Simply put, she will hurt herself before you ever have the chance to inflict harm on her. She’s in an unhealthy cycle, but because she’s so damned intelligent and capable in other ways, she can still navigate life with relative ease.

In many ways Aleksandr and Lili are mirrors of each other, but he represents a future in more ways than one. Yes, he can be the life partner and support she has always longed for, but he also represents a life lived with total acceptance and confidence. While Lili is confident in her beliefs, she isn’t confident in her self-worth. She does not fully accept herself and her feelings; it’s as if she contains a multitude of walls. One wall allows her foster parents closer to her, the next her friends, the next Aleksandr; but all cannot truly reach her.

It’s hard to convey all of my thoughts concerning this story, because there’s a lot; I truly have not stopped thinking of it since I started reading it. I urge readers to give it a chance, especially if anything I said in this review resonates with you.

[sims · Rating 5 out of 5]

it took me a few hours to gather my thoughts. there’s this feeling i rarely get these days when i read a book and a specific word or phrasing being used at the perfect time makes me pause and listen, but when it happens, it’s so, so good. this reminded me of pride and prejudice in a weird, but actually hilarious kind of way. i had a lot of fun reading it.

i think the highest points are all in lili as a character, especially when it comes to how her grief is explored, but also how losing people and not being cherished as much as she needed to has affected her sense of worth. this book explores making mistakes in a way that’s very thoughtful, and knows how to balance acknowledging wrongdoings without feeling too melodramatic, which i really appreciated. i think her friendships were such a nice addition and gave more depth to the story, making it seem more alive than ever. it’s also interesting how one of her most important friendships was built around grief of losing a loved one, and it shows how death and life are two sides of the same coin. an end just brings out a new beginning, and that’s a really beautiful way to portray the ups and downs of life.

i think aleksandr’s character is interesting because he breaks the mold of an archetype that i found so very common in other romance books i’ve read. he represents the rich and selfish, in a way thoughtless. but in this case, he is presented as a character with a lot of depth and thought. thoughtless is the last word i’d use to describe a character like him. i think that his relationship beginning with him knowing exactly how to read lili shows exactly that, because he knows how to tell when she’s acting a certain way, or pretending to be something she’s not from the very beginning. i also think it’s important how he doesn’t underestimate her thinking, her mindset, her beliefs, but instead challenges her. it makes their relationship stronger and it gives lili something other than her own hardships and traumas to think about and look forward to. i could definitely believe they were not only attracted to each other on a physical level (their chemistry is off the charts lol), but also there was genuine friendship and respect there, and that’s something not many books manage to create between two characters from such opposing lifestyles.

i also love the use of language in this book. i was warned about it being something that can throw someone off, but it’s actually the type of writing i’ve been quietly obsessed with that only a few people know how to manage. there’s dialogue that feels grounding, like something someone would say in real life without it sounding like a complete parody of how people think. anna does this thing where make lili ramble in narration for a few lines as a way to build up anticipation or to show the character’s anxiety, but she does it so well, because many times i found myself thinking “this is exactly the kind of mindset i’d have in this situation”. and it’s just… human. the writing feels human.

and about what happens towards the third arc of the book, if you know me, you know i have 0 problems with that, so… if you know, you know.

this was a very interesting read, and i could definitely tell how much work went into all the economics discussions explored. i think so many parts made me recall a conversation i’ve had with professors, with classmates, and it’s funny to be part of a field and in some way realize we’re all echoing inside the same vacuum. i’ll definitely think about it again. maybe once or twice. or more.

[jay ☆౨ৎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had to describe the experience of reading Games, it would be like sitting Centre Court watching a tennis match, neck cracking left and right and left and right. It’s intelligent, hilarious, sexually charged, and heartbreaking. And potentially one of my favourite books ever...? I was already excited going into this story for all of its various elements (Normal People comp, fusion of sex and art and economics) and it not only delivered, but far exceeded my expectations.

Games is so rich. It’s rich in concept, content, theory, character, execution. New York breathes in this novel. Lili is a young woman exhausted but driven by ambition, by her socially democratic conviction, her pain and sexual hunger. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt more seen by a character’s thought processes, her actions and reactions towards situations and life itself. I felt that I understood her completely. Then there's Aleksandr, who poses as her capitalist, neoliberal counterpart. I wanted to strangle him (so many times) but he unfolds into such a beautiful, nuanced character with his own rationale, belief systems and internalised pains from growing up in the Soviet Union. Also, he was really sexy, amen. And there is a cast of surrounding characters, Lili's friends and Michael, who warm this novel so much.

Lili and Aleksandr's age gap tastefully lends to their conflicting political and economical positions. Both characters stem from heavy cultural histories/backgrounds which shape their feelings towards modern America. It was truly refreshing to read about characters with diverse roots like this; Lili being Middle Eastern and Aleksandr being Russian. It was an illuminating divergence from the Western canon/narrative we see dominating literary fiction nowadays, and I was super appreciative of this element of the book.

Lili and Aleksandr argue constantly, about everything, but each argument is so intellectually stimulating. There's so much food for thought in this regard (e.g., Aleksandr's meditation on Marxism being akin to religious fulfilment: "there's an absolutism to it—answers to all your questions, direction for the rage, purpose to your suffering.") Like, that made me THINK. I'm aware the constant debating in this book won’t be for everyone, but I devoured every second of it. There’s also, obviously, a lot of sex; again, another interesting dynamic meticulously deconstructed and explored between the two characters. There is art and literature and friendship. The writer has imbued this story with so much knowledge it’s almost cavity-inducing, but I felt like I read this book at the perfect time in my life (case and point: I took a photo of The Economist the other day to post on my IG story; Lili takes a photo of The Economist to send to Aleksandr).

Though I now sadly have to leave Games behind (rest assured, a reread is coming in June), I walk away having been offered so much to think about. And what a gift from a book, what an achievement for the author. It’s staggering how much this book takes on but then, I think, life is exactly that: the intersection and overlap and messy, complicated blend of sex and politics and literature and art and pain. It's also really, really funny. Lili and Aleksandr will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you kindly to the publisher for the ARC!

[Tiana · Rating 4 out of 5]

Favorite quote (pg 363): "I suppose I mean trusting us enough not to hurt you."

Within current contemporary romance, a disconnect I have felt for some time is the distinct lack of deep character work. Yes, I have read many a romance book the past few years where I felt connected, and even related to, the characters. Because characters are what make a story. Without them, most books would not work at all. And yet, the books in the romance genre I have finished most recently left me wanting more; clawing and desperate to be able to see, understand, and know these characters I spent so much time with and allegedly learned about.

Games delivers on this by clearing the ache with the most delicious type of suffering.

Lili and Aleksandr are not just fleshed out. They are tangible. Threaded through each line of the story and leaving fingerprints in their wake. Although told through Lili's perspective, Aleksandr is just as present, just as revealed to the reader. Through careful work, we get to watch as they explore, unearth, hide, avoid, clash, and burn. All while knowing, however much it hurts to, that it's a result of their backgrounds, their motivations, their flaws. They are made up of what they cannot control and it's so entirely human. There were times I flinched in response to Lili's inner turmoil and had to stare at the wall to decompress because of how visceral and real Volkova made it. They are people making mistakes and living with the consequences, pushing and pulling, an endless tug of war, and that's okay. That's good, in fact. Imperfect stories are stories too, made up of imperfect characters we as readers can't help but sympathize with. We aren't perfect either.

As someone who read an early draft of Games, I was interested to see how the sexual dynamic between Lili and Aleksandr was approached in the next one. My first thought—before an arc was ever in my hands—was the fear that modern readers would heavily dislike what's written between them. Depending on interpretation, a lot could be misconstrued or watered down to align with assumptions. I, personally, think maintaining this particular chemistry was a bold and exciting move. Not to repeat myself, but exploring pockets of relationships that even those within them don't quite understand themselves is intriguing and nuanced. A perfect example of imperfection: admitting that discovery with another person isn't always so tidy. It wouldn't be, realistically. Lili and Aleksandr go on a journey that's not free from judgment, sure, but it reflects who each of them are so radically, so understandably, it's hard not to appreciate what's been crafted here. No detail was spared, no uncomfortable moment was ignored. We were in it alongside them every step of the way regardless of the fallout.

I've been yearning for the intersection of litfic and romance, and I'm hopeful Games sparks a surge of it. There's a lot there, in my opinion, at the crossroads of thematic complexity and gooey love. In addition, I'm eager to see where Volkova takes us next. She's clearly happy to challenge her readers by bending their genre expectations and flipping it all on its head, and I can't wait to watch how she does it the next time around.

[gaby · Rating 5 out of 5]

but him, she wants him: simple and foundational—through each kiss, and every breath, and into another day, after this, again, and again.

i went back and forth between 4.5 and 5 stars. i have my fair share of criticisms but i finished games: a love story feeling like anything lower than five stars would be disingenuous.

sure, the setup isn’t exactly unique: an older, very wealthy and very competent man; a young, messy but brilliant, hyper-opinionated woman who’s not like anyone he has ever met before. their foreplay consists of endless debates about economics, politics, and philosophy followed by extremely fiery sex. they can’t stay away from each other, but to anyone who reads the genre, this is nothing new under the sun.

regardless, games really stuck with me. i think i just happened to read it at the right moment. lili’s grief, her aversion to loss, and her tendency toward self-sabotage all felt too recognizable. she is difficult and full of convictions about everything. her internal monologue is a constant stream of references ranging from capitalism and food systems to astrology and art. opposite lili is aleksandr, a disciplined capitalist whose worldview appears to contradict hers entirely. they are a total mismatch. between their incompatible ideologies and their significant age gap, there is very little that suggests they should work. even with all that, i was willing to weather the highs and lows if it meant seeing lili and aleksandr come out on the other side. still i think the story would have benefited from pushing harder on those differences. there was also more to explore concerning lili’s politics versus her evident comfort within the systems she critiques.

the writing style is also… a lot. intellectually crowded and overly sensorial, sometimes to the point of feeling repetitive. the ao3 prose is pretty much indistinguishable in this one, so no surprise there given its fanfic origins. i will say, that is not necessarily a drawback. it was familiar to me and in this case, even lends itself well to literary fiction. it was sexy too. the lack of guardrails in lili and aleksandr’s dynamic was truly so scrumptious to me. there is no perfectly negotiated framework or tidy explanation of boundaries, just a volatile and impulsive mess… but they still have love and they still have hope. and somehow, they still have me in their corner.

no, it isn’t a flawless novel by any means, but it often felt like holding up a mirror. it also tapped into a very specific nostalgia from my years as a finance student in nyc, back before the pandemic upended everything and the hangups i harbored then. in that way, games is as much a reflection on forgiveness and moving forward as it is a love story.

sincere thanks to the publisher and netgalley for providing this arc in exchange for an honest review.