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Games: A Love Story
Not yet published
Expected 30 Jun 26Normal 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 CEO two decades her senior.
When Lili Marwan—seeking to escape the unrelenting pressures of her master’s thesis, recent rejection from her foster family, 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 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 startingly 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 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, 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 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 startingly 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 is she willing to risk great loss again, for the hope of profit that is finally within reach?
425 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication June 30, 2026
About the author
Anna Maria Volkova
3 books98 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 165 reviews
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.
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
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.
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.
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January 7, 2026The book that changed my life
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.
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!!!
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.
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!!
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.
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!
Want to Read
December 17, 2025Yes please, and thank you.
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
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.
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.
April 21, 2026
∞INFINITY STARS∞✨ (and i mean that.) 4🌶️
i feel like i can’t review this book in my usual format because it wouldn’t do it justice. i just….games is an absolute masterpiece that i think everyone needs to read in their lifetime. i went into this book expecting a read full of drama and some good spice; but my god it was so much more. anna’s prose, her characters, their story…there’s too many words to describe it and yet not enough. this book just really surprised me in the best way and i haven’t stopped thinking about it since i finished. it’s easily one of the most annotated books on my shelf.
i feel it’s best to go into lili & aleksandr’s story relatively blind for maximum impact, so i don’t want to give too much away. what i will say for those who are interested is: this story is as beautiful as it is messy and as funny as it is devastating. it will put you through the ringer and have you wanting to throw the book across the room while simultaneously wanting to clutch it to your chest in a tight embrace.
if you read the blurb/back of the book and feel like it’s not for you, i urge you to reconsider. i think comparing it to 50 shades of grey does this book a disservice. it’s so completely it’s own story. yes there is sex, and yes it’s rougher, and yes there is a dramatic age gap but the dynamic between lili and aleksandr is so. much. more. than just sex and age. this story is also so deeply about friendship, about healing, about art, about politics, about family, about the complexities of life and grappling with your own existence. it’s just really incredible and im so blown away that it is a DEBUT.
thank you thank you to William Morrow for the advanced copy. games: a love story is out june 30th, 2026!
i feel like i can’t review this book in my usual format because it wouldn’t do it justice. i just….games is an absolute masterpiece that i think everyone needs to read in their lifetime. i went into this book expecting a read full of drama and some good spice; but my god it was so much more. anna’s prose, her characters, their story…there’s too many words to describe it and yet not enough. this book just really surprised me in the best way and i haven’t stopped thinking about it since i finished. it’s easily one of the most annotated books on my shelf.
i feel it’s best to go into lili & aleksandr’s story relatively blind for maximum impact, so i don’t want to give too much away. what i will say for those who are interested is: this story is as beautiful as it is messy and as funny as it is devastating. it will put you through the ringer and have you wanting to throw the book across the room while simultaneously wanting to clutch it to your chest in a tight embrace.
if you read the blurb/back of the book and feel like it’s not for you, i urge you to reconsider. i think comparing it to 50 shades of grey does this book a disservice. it’s so completely it’s own story. yes there is sex, and yes it’s rougher, and yes there is a dramatic age gap but the dynamic between lili and aleksandr is so. much. more. than just sex and age. this story is also so deeply about friendship, about healing, about art, about politics, about family, about the complexities of life and grappling with your own existence. it’s just really incredible and im so blown away that it is a DEBUT.
thank you thank you to William Morrow for the advanced copy. games: a love story is out june 30th, 2026!
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
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.
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.
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.
April 25, 2026
I haven’t stopped thinking about Games: A love story since I finished it, I loved the friendships, loved the dynamic between all the characters, they all felt so real, raw and beautiful. Lili and Aleksandr felt like real people their relationship at times was messy and complicated and still their love for each other was always there. I loved how the author portrayed their relationship as it was told through Lilis perspective yet Aleksandrs presence was always felt just as strongly. Games: A love story is a story that sits with you because it doesn’t try to simplify things it leans into the contradictions of love, power, and identity and lets them exist without easy answers.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for the advanced reading copy.
Thank you to NetGalley and William Morrow publishing for the advanced reading copy.
Currently Reading
April 15, 2026imagine my delighted surprise when upon receiving the arc i found out this started out as Darklina fanfiction
April 25, 2026
4.5 stars
thank you to netgalley for this arc!!!
this was one of my anticipated reads, so i was very happy i got accepted for this arc. i did originally read this when it was a fic, and i remember loving it so much. now that it’s finally published, i am so very happy. lili marwan is such a well written character to me, and i honestly related to her a lot. aleksandr is also such a good character even if it does take awhile to like him. i enjoyed their banter so much and their dynamic. although this is marketed to be similar to fifty shades of grey, it didn’t feel that way at all. it was their own story. my only critique for this book was that sometimes, i was able to tell this was originally a fanfic. i think this is one of those books that i will find myself rereading a lot.
thank you to netgalley for this arc!!!
this was one of my anticipated reads, so i was very happy i got accepted for this arc. i did originally read this when it was a fic, and i remember loving it so much. now that it’s finally published, i am so very happy. lili marwan is such a well written character to me, and i honestly related to her a lot. aleksandr is also such a good character even if it does take awhile to like him. i enjoyed their banter so much and their dynamic. although this is marketed to be similar to fifty shades of grey, it didn’t feel that way at all. it was their own story. my only critique for this book was that sometimes, i was able to tell this was originally a fanfic. i think this is one of those books that i will find myself rereading a lot.
April 22, 2026
FUCKING HELL WHAT A RUSH
⭐️ARC REVIEW⭐️
i previously apologized in my stories for harassing people about this book but Im officially posting my review now to just get all my thoughts out there!! this entire thing will probably be a ramble but that’s okay here we go!!
it almost feels too personal to say that i resonate with this book so much but i do. i saw a review on goodreads that said something along the lines of “this book was tailor made for me in this exact moment in my life” and i couldn’t agree more. although i am 28 and lili is 23, i find myself going through many of the same experiences as her, especially in her exploration of sex and self. (omg if anyone in my family is reading this please stop now) !!! her experience of dumbing herself down for nyc finance bros, exploring her sexuality and (im whispering here) her kinks, passionately disagreeing with others, feeling close-yet-distant from friends, oh and lets not forget the self-sabotaging tendencies :P this book absolutely held up a mirror to my life and forced me to face some of these things head on.
i also feel like this book is both my wildest dream and biggest nightmare - meet cute with a gajillionaire in a bar who has an accent and might be a bit of a sex god?? yes please!! but he has to be a raging capitalist and mayyyyybe a tweensy bit of a love bomber?? no thank you
at the risk of sounding sooo cliche, i found this book to be very raw, real, funny, and at times too smart for me!! i will be thinking about lili and aleksandr forever
⭐️ARC REVIEW⭐️
i previously apologized in my stories for harassing people about this book but Im officially posting my review now to just get all my thoughts out there!! this entire thing will probably be a ramble but that’s okay here we go!!
it almost feels too personal to say that i resonate with this book so much but i do. i saw a review on goodreads that said something along the lines of “this book was tailor made for me in this exact moment in my life” and i couldn’t agree more. although i am 28 and lili is 23, i find myself going through many of the same experiences as her, especially in her exploration of sex and self. (omg if anyone in my family is reading this please stop now) !!! her experience of dumbing herself down for nyc finance bros, exploring her sexuality and (im whispering here) her kinks, passionately disagreeing with others, feeling close-yet-distant from friends, oh and lets not forget the self-sabotaging tendencies :P this book absolutely held up a mirror to my life and forced me to face some of these things head on.
i also feel like this book is both my wildest dream and biggest nightmare - meet cute with a gajillionaire in a bar who has an accent and might be a bit of a sex god?? yes please!! but he has to be a raging capitalist and mayyyyybe a tweensy bit of a love bomber?? no thank you
at the risk of sounding sooo cliche, i found this book to be very raw, real, funny, and at times too smart for me!! i will be thinking about lili and aleksandr forever
April 20, 2026
absolute f*cking banger oh my god
March 26, 2026
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!
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!
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.
Did Not Finish
June 5, 2026***Thanks to the publisher and Libro.fm for the audiobook!!***
🫡 I tried. And it’s a DNF for me at 8% on audio. I actually like the narrator (Jessica O’Hara-Baker) but the vibes of this book aren’t my thing. I love a dark and seemingly dangerous MMC book, but dark romance this is not.
This is very much litfic and I KNOW. It’s from a Darklina fic with names changed and writing tightened up, but it was a contemporary AU anyways and not a fantasy fanfic so it’s whatever to me in that regard. Shadow and Bone fanfics were never a fandom I read in, so I don’t know the ship dynamics to where I can outright say this person is this and that is from that, besides the obvious (Lili and Aleksandr).
The talk of economics and capitalism, and Lili’s holier than thou attitude about the world and what’s right and wrong are so grating to me (she won’t even drink cow milk and rants about it).
She turns 23 early on in this novel and the MMC, Aleksandr, is 45. It’s the birthday scene really, that I feel should’ve ended it all for me. She’s out celebrating with her friends and she gets super drunk and winds up at Aleksandr’s home to have sex with him and he’s all sorts of exasperated (but doesn’t take advantage of her). It definitely highlights that he’s too old for her.
There’s zero talk of consent when they do have sex, but it is quite rough. I’m into dark romance so I’m not a huge stickler for books following safe and consensual sex and talking everything out beforehand as a lot of people might be…BUT the vibes of this book seem to be pointing with a righteous hand about everything else in Lili’s life and how she judges the world so why not here? I assume this is addressed further into the story as a point of contention? The book is 17 hours and 44 minutes on audiobook after all. It surely can’t all be sex.
The writing is in third-person present tense. Not the worst writing style (that’s reserved for second-person POV) but close enough. It feels like I’m in the director’s chair telling these characters what to do. It’s fine for a script, but annoying when reading a book.
I just keep listening to this audiobook and thinking to myself that I’d rather go back to reading dark romance and even dark romance billionaire books, because this book is a bore to me. I know people love the original fanfic but this doesn’t work for me as an original work and as someone who likes reading romance and not litfic.
🫡 I tried. And it’s a DNF for me at 8% on audio. I actually like the narrator (Jessica O’Hara-Baker) but the vibes of this book aren’t my thing. I love a dark and seemingly dangerous MMC book, but dark romance this is not.
This is very much litfic and I KNOW. It’s from a Darklina fic with names changed and writing tightened up, but it was a contemporary AU anyways and not a fantasy fanfic so it’s whatever to me in that regard. Shadow and Bone fanfics were never a fandom I read in, so I don’t know the ship dynamics to where I can outright say this person is this and that is from that, besides the obvious (Lili and Aleksandr).
The talk of economics and capitalism, and Lili’s holier than thou attitude about the world and what’s right and wrong are so grating to me (she won’t even drink cow milk and rants about it).
She turns 23 early on in this novel and the MMC, Aleksandr, is 45. It’s the birthday scene really, that I feel should’ve ended it all for me. She’s out celebrating with her friends and she gets super drunk and winds up at Aleksandr’s home to have sex with him and he’s all sorts of exasperated (but doesn’t take advantage of her). It definitely highlights that he’s too old for her.
There’s zero talk of consent when they do have sex, but it is quite rough. I’m into dark romance so I’m not a huge stickler for books following safe and consensual sex and talking everything out beforehand as a lot of people might be…BUT the vibes of this book seem to be pointing with a righteous hand about everything else in Lili’s life and how she judges the world so why not here? I assume this is addressed further into the story as a point of contention? The book is 17 hours and 44 minutes on audiobook after all. It surely can’t all be sex.
The writing is in third-person present tense. Not the worst writing style (that’s reserved for second-person POV) but close enough. It feels like I’m in the director’s chair telling these characters what to do. It’s fine for a script, but annoying when reading a book.
I just keep listening to this audiobook and thinking to myself that I’d rather go back to reading dark romance and even dark romance billionaire books, because this book is a bore to me. I know people love the original fanfic but this doesn’t work for me as an original work and as someone who likes reading romance and not litfic.
May 26, 2026
thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for my honest feedback.
this book will not be for everyone, but it was absolutely for me. while i was lost to the economic theory at parts, if you can get past that you are in for a treat. lili and aleksander take arguing as foreplay to a new level and i love that for them. these characters were so REAL, with genuine struggles and things they are overcoming. i know many readers pick a book up as a way to escape the real world (i certainly do too) but don’t pick this one up expecting perfect characters. they are flawed, they make mistakes, they are dealing with traumatic experiences from their childhoods and that is why i loved them so dearly. i loved the heavy dialogue. the new york setting in the summertime. this was truly everything. this was written for those of us with avoidant attachment styles! i felt so seen!! this book made me sob, had me googling what things meant, made me reflect. i wish i could reread it again for the first time. hard to believe this was a debut, it was perfection.
this book will not be for everyone, but it was absolutely for me. while i was lost to the economic theory at parts, if you can get past that you are in for a treat. lili and aleksander take arguing as foreplay to a new level and i love that for them. these characters were so REAL, with genuine struggles and things they are overcoming. i know many readers pick a book up as a way to escape the real world (i certainly do too) but don’t pick this one up expecting perfect characters. they are flawed, they make mistakes, they are dealing with traumatic experiences from their childhoods and that is why i loved them so dearly. i loved the heavy dialogue. the new york setting in the summertime. this was truly everything. this was written for those of us with avoidant attachment styles! i felt so seen!! this book made me sob, had me googling what things meant, made me reflect. i wish i could reread it again for the first time. hard to believe this was a debut, it was perfection.
May 30, 2026
Yeah, I don’t know. I get what this book was trying to do and I mean, I struggled to put it down, so there is that. But half of this book screams “I’m trying to write a book that sounds smart and academic”, and I honestly zoned off a lot during those parts.
There is a lot of sex, but it is a huge factor to the plot, so that’s fine. My problem is, why are we romanticizing this? They literally never talk about a safe word, talk about protection after they’ve already been *very* active…I get it on the FMC’s part, but the way the MMC is described…in his 40s, HUNDREDS of partners, wealthy with access to anything he wants—it’s hard to buy in.
And while I get why Lily does what she does…it was just irredeemable for me so I struggled with the ending.
That said, I was addicted to the toxicity presented here so not sure what that says about me lol.
There is a lot of sex, but it is a huge factor to the plot, so that’s fine. My problem is, why are we romanticizing this? They literally never talk about a safe word, talk about protection after they’ve already been *very* active…I get it on the FMC’s part, but the way the MMC is described…in his 40s, HUNDREDS of partners, wealthy with access to anything he wants—it’s hard to buy in.
And while I get why Lily does what she does…it was just irredeemable for me so I struggled with the ending.
That said, I was addicted to the toxicity presented here so not sure what that says about me lol.
May 2, 2026
Games: A Love Story is one of those books that leaves you slightly unsteady afterward, like you’ve been arguing, grieving, and falling in love all at once.
what makes it stand out is how seriously it treats ideas. Philosophy, politics, economics, art. everything is part of the conversation. The characters don’t just reference these things; they challenge each other through them. That constant mental tension is what gives the story its intensity.
At the center are Lili and Aleksandr, whose relationship is built less on ease and more on friction. Their age gap is there, but it’s not the most important divide. What really defines them is how differently they think about power, responsibility, and the world around them. Their connection is fueled by debate as much as attraction.
The dialogue is a huge part of why it works. It feels fast, natural, and deeply charged, like two people who are both drawn together and slightly trying to win every exchange. Through those conversations, their relationship actually builds in a way that feels believable and layered.
There’s also a strong physical and emotional intimacy between them, but it isn’t simple. For Lili, it sometimes feels like escape or avoidance; for Aleksandr, it comes across as something deeper and more consuming. That imbalance adds tension instead of resolution, which fits the tone of the whole book.
Lili, especially, stayed with me. She’s intelligent, stubborn, and often overwhelmed by her own emotions. She doesn’t feel “easy” to like all the time, but she feels real. Her grief and internal conflict shape so much of how she moves through the story, and her growth feels slow, messy, and honest.
the book had pulled me into constant thought and emotion without giving me much space to come up for air. Loved it.
It’s intense, sharp, and intimate in how it makes you think and feel at the same time.
Anna Maria Volkova is insanely talented for this to be a debut. Can’t wait to read more from her.
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the ARC.
what makes it stand out is how seriously it treats ideas. Philosophy, politics, economics, art. everything is part of the conversation. The characters don’t just reference these things; they challenge each other through them. That constant mental tension is what gives the story its intensity.
At the center are Lili and Aleksandr, whose relationship is built less on ease and more on friction. Their age gap is there, but it’s not the most important divide. What really defines them is how differently they think about power, responsibility, and the world around them. Their connection is fueled by debate as much as attraction.
The dialogue is a huge part of why it works. It feels fast, natural, and deeply charged, like two people who are both drawn together and slightly trying to win every exchange. Through those conversations, their relationship actually builds in a way that feels believable and layered.
There’s also a strong physical and emotional intimacy between them, but it isn’t simple. For Lili, it sometimes feels like escape or avoidance; for Aleksandr, it comes across as something deeper and more consuming. That imbalance adds tension instead of resolution, which fits the tone of the whole book.
Lili, especially, stayed with me. She’s intelligent, stubborn, and often overwhelmed by her own emotions. She doesn’t feel “easy” to like all the time, but she feels real. Her grief and internal conflict shape so much of how she moves through the story, and her growth feels slow, messy, and honest.
the book had pulled me into constant thought and emotion without giving me much space to come up for air. Loved it.
It’s intense, sharp, and intimate in how it makes you think and feel at the same time.
Anna Maria Volkova is insanely talented for this to be a debut. Can’t wait to read more from her.
Thank you NetGalley and William Morrow Books for the ARC.
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