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Life is Not a Game
Charlotte leads a double life. Online, she is Mars: gamer, master strategist, and one of the boys. In real life, she’s too shy to utter a single word. On her team, she’s infallible. At school, she’s a freak. But a cross-country move gives her a chance to reinvent herself—until a fateful collision with her new friend’s gorgeous brother knocks her whole world off course. Will she have the courage to date football jock TJ? Or should she stick to her online love, Tony—even if he thinks she’s a boy?
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Published October 30, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 108 reviews
December 19, 2025
FIRST: if you’re thinking of downloading Galatea to read this, based off an ad you saw where she accidentally unmutes herself in chat and her online bestie recognizes her voice, it is not in the book, and that ad was better written than any part of the rest of the story.
I’m fairly sure the author is an AI chat bot, but if not, probably a 14 year old homeschooled kid?
The good aspects of this book first, in case it is written by a kid: it was generally grammatically correct. There is something like a plot here. The premise was cute.
The bad aspects, which I will try to keep constructive, again, in case it was written by a kid:
The story undermines any tension it could have had at any point by over explaining every aspect to the reader like they do not have two brain cells to rub together. You have to trust your reader.
The writing is generally repetitive and overly permissive. There’s one part where she says - and I’m not joking what are basically back to back sentences - “thanks,” she said, shyly. “Um, thank you,” she said shyly. The writing here is less juicy than the Sahara desert.
ALSO, the use of “females” instead of “women” creeps me out. Why is it that even the girls in book refer to themselves like biological testing subjects???
Somehow every character is super super hot and has no other real discernible personality traits - except Mars who is SO shy and doesn’t understand any innuendo at all (except when she does?). I know she’s supposed to have social anxiety - It was handled better in the first few chapters than it ever was later in the book. Suddenly all that meant is that she couldn’t talk to people unless it was about games. Also her father was diagnosing her? Which Im not totally sure but I think is a pretty big ethical violation? I am pretty sure you can’t be diagnosed by immediate family members in most contexts, and it did not sound like he was a mental health professional.
The parents only functionally exist so that you don’t ask how a teenager can afford to do things. They have no personality traits except absent - though financially supportive.
Reflecting back on social anxiety and women’s representation in gaming. The story undermined any positive commentary it may have had about disability representation and women in gaming by only having the press address TJ, and then applauding them for being so inclusive. If the author wanted to make a point about representation for women and disabled people, they should have forced the interviewers to accommodate her disability by letting her pre record responses or send in written responses. While allies are needed, being “inclusive” by communicating exclusively through her white male able-bodied boyfriend is SO gross. I think it’s unrealistic for all narratives about social anxiety to end “and then I simply overcame it and now I can speak in public!” But going the exact opposite route and having a character not grow personally but also not impact the system that disadvantaged her feels like it’s actively doing more harm than good.
On that note, there is zero internal growth in any of the characters, except maybe TJ and Tracey who do not grow internally reflective of the active plot but his back story instead. This is all, again, way over explained.
Again, I think the premise was fun. I also think TJs narrative view point added nothing to the story, except emphasizing how incredibly hot and cute and innocent Charlotte is.
Every potential coincidence that could happen in this book does. Omg, my online bestie I’m crushing on is also the twin brother of my best friend who I was dating but broke up with me on hearsay???? Who decided he didn’t to be a player anymore just before I moved to town???? Whose mom works at the hospital where my dad works and is apparently a nurse on his team??? The tournament we want to go to that happens to be right by one of our team mates homes??? Parents that are conveniently never ever home???
Maybe high school has changed since I was in it, but it seems statistically unlikely to have every one of your classes with one person. Also, the introduction of the red carpet to the prom like it was normal was interesting - I had never heard of any school doing that before, but maybe that’s a regional thing.
I fear I read significantly better free fan fiction in my youth. I know the quality of everything is going down right now but asking people to pay for this was very silly.
I’m fairly sure the author is an AI chat bot, but if not, probably a 14 year old homeschooled kid?
The good aspects of this book first, in case it is written by a kid: it was generally grammatically correct. There is something like a plot here. The premise was cute.
The bad aspects, which I will try to keep constructive, again, in case it was written by a kid:
The story undermines any tension it could have had at any point by over explaining every aspect to the reader like they do not have two brain cells to rub together. You have to trust your reader.
The writing is generally repetitive and overly permissive. There’s one part where she says - and I’m not joking what are basically back to back sentences - “thanks,” she said, shyly. “Um, thank you,” she said shyly. The writing here is less juicy than the Sahara desert.
ALSO, the use of “females” instead of “women” creeps me out. Why is it that even the girls in book refer to themselves like biological testing subjects???
Somehow every character is super super hot and has no other real discernible personality traits - except Mars who is SO shy and doesn’t understand any innuendo at all (except when she does?). I know she’s supposed to have social anxiety - It was handled better in the first few chapters than it ever was later in the book. Suddenly all that meant is that she couldn’t talk to people unless it was about games. Also her father was diagnosing her? Which Im not totally sure but I think is a pretty big ethical violation? I am pretty sure you can’t be diagnosed by immediate family members in most contexts, and it did not sound like he was a mental health professional.
The parents only functionally exist so that you don’t ask how a teenager can afford to do things. They have no personality traits except absent - though financially supportive.
Reflecting back on social anxiety and women’s representation in gaming. The story undermined any positive commentary it may have had about disability representation and women in gaming by only having the press address TJ, and then applauding them for being so inclusive. If the author wanted to make a point about representation for women and disabled people, they should have forced the interviewers to accommodate her disability by letting her pre record responses or send in written responses. While allies are needed, being “inclusive” by communicating exclusively through her white male able-bodied boyfriend is SO gross. I think it’s unrealistic for all narratives about social anxiety to end “and then I simply overcame it and now I can speak in public!” But going the exact opposite route and having a character not grow personally but also not impact the system that disadvantaged her feels like it’s actively doing more harm than good.
On that note, there is zero internal growth in any of the characters, except maybe TJ and Tracey who do not grow internally reflective of the active plot but his back story instead. This is all, again, way over explained.
Again, I think the premise was fun. I also think TJs narrative view point added nothing to the story, except emphasizing how incredibly hot and cute and innocent Charlotte is.
Every potential coincidence that could happen in this book does. Omg, my online bestie I’m crushing on is also the twin brother of my best friend who I was dating but broke up with me on hearsay???? Who decided he didn’t to be a player anymore just before I moved to town???? Whose mom works at the hospital where my dad works and is apparently a nurse on his team??? The tournament we want to go to that happens to be right by one of our team mates homes??? Parents that are conveniently never ever home???
Maybe high school has changed since I was in it, but it seems statistically unlikely to have every one of your classes with one person. Also, the introduction of the red carpet to the prom like it was normal was interesting - I had never heard of any school doing that before, but maybe that’s a regional thing.
I fear I read significantly better free fan fiction in my youth. I know the quality of everything is going down right now but asking people to pay for this was very silly.
March 9, 2026
Read on Galatea.
I loved the story and the characters and mostly the writing style. The theme hits home, I'm female and a gamer and know the feeling when you're not taken as serious competition because of your gender.
The thing I really disliked was Charlotte's so-called innocence. I don't believe anyone even with social anxiety can show this amount of naivety. This made her look really stupid and didn't fit her character. I know a lot of neurodivergent people can't always read the room, but this level was not believable.
I loved the story and the characters and mostly the writing style. The theme hits home, I'm female and a gamer and know the feeling when you're not taken as serious competition because of your gender.
The thing I really disliked was Charlotte's so-called innocence. I don't believe anyone even with social anxiety can show this amount of naivety. This made her look really stupid and didn't fit her character. I know a lot of neurodivergent people can't always read the room, but this level was not believable.
December 14, 2025
liked the concept but the writing was very immature. would have been a banging novel if it was written to a higher quality.
January 6, 2026
Honestly? I got click-baited by an Instagram ad—and I’m saying this as someone who wanted to like it.
The first half worked. It was fluffy, vibey, low-stakes fun: a classic “you’re the one I’ve been falling for without knowing it” setup. The writing wasn’t tight, but that was fine—the story knew it was cotton candy. Swoony, light, meant to be enjoyed and forgotten.
Then the second half collapsed.
The tone shifts abruptly, almost as if it were written by a different person. Character consistency disappears, and what was previously brushed off as “loose structure” turns into outright sloppiness. Plot holes that were easy to ignore suddenly matter—especially the way the FMC’s social anxiety is handled. It becomes a convenient label rather than a lived condition, deployed only when the plot needs it and discarded when it doesn’t.
The breaking point for me was psychological credibility. A character with severe social anxiety, no romantic experience, and a hidden identity should not transition instantly into confident, flirty ease the moment she meets multiple men in person—especially under high-pressure circumstances. I mean, come on! These guys never knew she’s a girl and they have been talking dirty about girls. Finally Meeting them at the first time would peaked my anxiety if i were her.
By the end, the story no longer resembled the premise that sold it. What started as harmless fluff turned into something careless and incoherent.
Take it from someone who fell for the ad:
close the window and run.
The first half worked. It was fluffy, vibey, low-stakes fun: a classic “you’re the one I’ve been falling for without knowing it” setup. The writing wasn’t tight, but that was fine—the story knew it was cotton candy. Swoony, light, meant to be enjoyed and forgotten.
Then the second half collapsed.
The tone shifts abruptly, almost as if it were written by a different person. Character consistency disappears, and what was previously brushed off as “loose structure” turns into outright sloppiness. Plot holes that were easy to ignore suddenly matter—especially the way the FMC’s social anxiety is handled. It becomes a convenient label rather than a lived condition, deployed only when the plot needs it and discarded when it doesn’t.
The breaking point for me was psychological credibility. A character with severe social anxiety, no romantic experience, and a hidden identity should not transition instantly into confident, flirty ease the moment she meets multiple men in person—especially under high-pressure circumstances. I mean, come on! These guys never knew she’s a girl and they have been talking dirty about girls. Finally Meeting them at the first time would peaked my anxiety if i were her.
By the end, the story no longer resembled the premise that sold it. What started as harmless fluff turned into something careless and incoherent.
Take it from someone who fell for the ad:
close the window and run.
December 20, 2025
Cute Story, but buyer beware
If you found your way here due to seeing the same Facebook ad over and over again like I did, this is not the book that is in the ad. The character names are the same and it is based around playing video games, but that is it. We are talking coming of age, high school book with green bell pepper spice levels.
This was a cute book, just not what was advertised/what brought me here.
My biggest complaint is that this reads like you would an online fanfic, there is NO formatting. It's like they quickly decided to turn it into a Kindle book and published it. The text messages can be hard to tell at times due to the formatting set up, and there are no chapters.
I would have preferred this was on kindle unlimited or a bit cheaper. Formatting issues alone, it is not worth the price unfortunately
If you found your way here due to seeing the same Facebook ad over and over again like I did, this is not the book that is in the ad. The character names are the same and it is based around playing video games, but that is it. We are talking coming of age, high school book with green bell pepper spice levels.
This was a cute book, just not what was advertised/what brought me here.
My biggest complaint is that this reads like you would an online fanfic, there is NO formatting. It's like they quickly decided to turn it into a Kindle book and published it. The text messages can be hard to tell at times due to the formatting set up, and there are no chapters.
I would have preferred this was on kindle unlimited or a bit cheaper. Formatting issues alone, it is not worth the price unfortunately
December 25, 2025
I read this because of an instagram ad.
I’m actually surprised it’s here. It’s very poorly written. The characters are awful and not written to real life people at all. I love video games and I’m a female and that does mod make me shy and insecure. And just because you’re shy and insecure does not mean you like video games. But these make it one in the same.
I hate finished it.
I’m actually surprised it’s here. It’s very poorly written. The characters are awful and not written to real life people at all. I love video games and I’m a female and that does mod make me shy and insecure. And just because you’re shy and insecure does not mean you like video games. But these make it one in the same.
I hate finished it.
December 15, 2025
Super cute, wholesome, feel good story. Writing could use an editor; the book had a repetitive sentence structure and paragraph format. It also was very time bound. Some aspects could have been skipped over instead of the constant play by play. Overall, lovely story.
March 8, 2026
Een add heeft mij overgehaald hieraan te beginnen, maar het is niet zo heel goed geschreven. Het verhaal is wel cute. Begin was nog wel ok, einde was wat het minst goed
February 19, 2026
This was surprisingly enjoyable, sweet, funny, entertaining and addictive!!!
I usually avoid gamer-books, but this was NOT boring!!
Is listed as a YA -Young Adult- (Hence no actual Hanky-Panky, just a few moanings ..lol) it was interesting, and thank goodness Tracey was overly chatty and just declared them BFFs from the get-go…lol, Charlotte is just sooo sweet ❤️
I enjoyed the writing, writing style, &story 🎮
💙Loved the ending💙
The blurb on Goodreads is spot on ✅
The blurb Galatea put out was either BS or (surprise) they edited it out of book?!, I pretty much used a whole lotta points to read this book!! It was simply enjoyed ❤️
I usually avoid gamer-books, but this was NOT boring!!
Is listed as a YA -Young Adult- (Hence no actual Hanky-Panky, just a few moanings ..lol) it was interesting, and thank goodness Tracey was overly chatty and just declared them BFFs from the get-go…lol, Charlotte is just sooo sweet ❤️
I enjoyed the writing, writing style, &story 🎮
💙Loved the ending💙
The blurb on Goodreads is spot on ✅
The blurb Galatea put out was either BS or (surprise) they edited it out of book?!, I pretty much used a whole lotta points to read this book!! It was simply enjoyed ❤️
February 14, 2026
I’m grossed out by how disgustingly addictive that was. I don’t ever want to see/ hear about it again.
December 28, 2025
over 40 chapters, only available on galatea. Which means: you either wait the 6 hours between chapters or you pay for this book via subscription or by purchasing coins...
I didn't know going into this that it was about a virgin. And how much that has relevance to the plot. If i did I would never have picked this up, not because of her virginity, but because she is so ridiculously ignorant about sex/relationships for being on the internet for as long as she has with 'friends' that are as sexually active as hers are.. unbelievable. Was about to DNF this when they shortened their nicknames from Jupiter to Jup, Neptune to Nep, and the worst of them all; Pluto to Plu. wtf?. But the plot had enough going for it that I ignored all the red flags. I should have DNF'ed this. 2 stars is me being generous.
I didn't know going into this that it was about a virgin. And how much that has relevance to the plot. If i did I would never have picked this up, not because of her virginity, but because she is so ridiculously ignorant about sex/relationships for being on the internet for as long as she has with 'friends' that are as sexually active as hers are.. unbelievable. Was about to DNF this when they shortened their nicknames from Jupiter to Jup, Neptune to Nep, and the worst of them all; Pluto to Plu. wtf?. But the plot had enough going for it that I ignored all the red flags. I should have DNF'ed this. 2 stars is me being generous.
December 18, 2025
This was honestly so cute! It seems to be a novice writer, but I think that made the story so much better! As a girl who enjoys video games (and also understands the struggles of playing certain games as a girl), I loved this!
January 3, 2026
I enjoyed the premise of the book the execution however wasn’t so great. A lot of telling which I could overlook but it’s less immersive.
What really took the most away from the story was the things like.. I didn’t tell my bff I’m a gamer because I’m a girl. Or the fact it’s a massive part of her life but she never talked about it to anyone? Laughing or giggling at things that were borderline amusing. Hearing her guy friends seggsy sounds but not knowing what hard meant or what moaning is? And the cherry on top was dating and even sleeping next to your bf for multiple years and not ever noticing morning evening or afternoon wood? 🤨 No.
Also she went from EXTREME social anxiety the entire book to jumping on her buddies and frolicking in the sand with guys she just met in person for the first time ever.
And okay this is the cherry on top. Two cherries. The I’m not like other girls trope while being exactly like other girls. 🫠
I paid a subscription to read this. 🫣
What really took the most away from the story was the things like.. I didn’t tell my bff I’m a gamer because I’m a girl. Or the fact it’s a massive part of her life but she never talked about it to anyone? Laughing or giggling at things that were borderline amusing. Hearing her guy friends seggsy sounds but not knowing what hard meant or what moaning is? And the cherry on top was dating and even sleeping next to your bf for multiple years and not ever noticing morning evening or afternoon wood? 🤨 No.
Also she went from EXTREME social anxiety the entire book to jumping on her buddies and frolicking in the sand with guys she just met in person for the first time ever.
And okay this is the cherry on top. Two cherries. The I’m not like other girls trope while being exactly like other girls. 🫠
I paid a subscription to read this. 🫣
February 17, 2026
Embarrassed at myself for reading this clickbait. If I had found this on AO3, I might have found this charming enough, even if it were a mess, but given how likely I suspect generative AI was used in the creation, and the blatant attempts at monetization, I am rating based on alerting prospective readers; please steer clear.
Even if one buys into the conceit that they don’t know each other’s aliases, beyond that mystery, there is nothing of depth. The plot is sloppy and requires extreme levels of artifice and logical contortions to make work, like a character prompting the FMC at every turn to spill her feelings for her perceived love triangle, to induce an unnecessary feeling of building momentum. (I would say spoiler alert from here on out, but reading the précis, you know exactly what is happening.) The set-up is better than the follow-through, but that isn't saying much.
The repeated inside jokes in the text conversations felt ad nauseam. I might have interpreted this as more camp or “committing to the bit” had it not been for the shallow characterization of the love interests elsewhere in the text; rather, the banter reads like a conversation between two unimaginative humans who had only ever thought of one joke(singular) between them and milk it for more than it is worth.
Maybe Kara Verbeek is very effective at capturing a painful sort of earnestness with her characters, but this story is very surface-level and is too long to justify what could have been a very efficient, succinct short story. What might have been a silly allusion or implication ends up being a bludgeon the story hits you over the head with (e.g., remember FMC is innocent. Lest you forget, please sit through countless drawn-out conversations with her video game buddies over the headset, employing euphemisms and double entendres at her ignorant expense to remind you, the reader, (onto which the author must project the attention span of an amoeba) of said innocence.)
In this instance, using more words seems to actually disservice and, to a large extent, flatten the characters. In the beginning, what could have passed for shorthand for crippling shyness or anxiety ends up feeling like a reductive caricature at times. Then the second half of the story seems like a completely different FMC, and there is seemingly no explanation given. At the beach, she has unexplained bouts of extroversion, which are seemingly unaddressed. Even aesthetically, I am confused, for whatever reason, by the end she seems to be wearing provocative clothes a lot, to the extent that other characters comment on it, which is fine, but she clearly explains earlier in the story why she is more comfortable in baggy clothes, and she keeps asking for simple makeup, including a smokey eye?
Even if one buys into the conceit that they don’t know each other’s aliases, beyond that mystery, there is nothing of depth. The plot is sloppy and requires extreme levels of artifice and logical contortions to make work, like a character prompting the FMC at every turn to spill her feelings for her perceived love triangle, to induce an unnecessary feeling of building momentum. (I would say spoiler alert from here on out, but reading the précis, you know exactly what is happening.) The set-up is better than the follow-through, but that isn't saying much.
The repeated inside jokes in the text conversations felt ad nauseam. I might have interpreted this as more camp or “committing to the bit” had it not been for the shallow characterization of the love interests elsewhere in the text; rather, the banter reads like a conversation between two unimaginative humans who had only ever thought of one joke(singular) between them and milk it for more than it is worth.
Maybe Kara Verbeek is very effective at capturing a painful sort of earnestness with her characters, but this story is very surface-level and is too long to justify what could have been a very efficient, succinct short story. What might have been a silly allusion or implication ends up being a bludgeon the story hits you over the head with (e.g., remember FMC is innocent. Lest you forget, please sit through countless drawn-out conversations with her video game buddies over the headset, employing euphemisms and double entendres at her ignorant expense to remind you, the reader, (onto which the author must project the attention span of an amoeba) of said innocence.)
In this instance, using more words seems to actually disservice and, to a large extent, flatten the characters. In the beginning, what could have passed for shorthand for crippling shyness or anxiety ends up feeling like a reductive caricature at times. Then the second half of the story seems like a completely different FMC, and there is seemingly no explanation given. At the beach, she has unexplained bouts of extroversion, which are seemingly unaddressed. Even aesthetically, I am confused, for whatever reason, by the end she seems to be wearing provocative clothes a lot, to the extent that other characters comment on it, which is fine, but she clearly explains earlier in the story why she is more comfortable in baggy clothes, and she keeps asking for simple makeup, including a smokey eye?
March 7, 2026
I kind of hate myself for enjoying this if we all want to know where my self esteem is at today
basic writing but an interesting plot about a girl with severe social anxiety who plays games professionally but is hiding that she's a girl.
the big pull is that when she falls for a guy, she and he are totally unaware they've been best friends online since childhood and play on the same e-sports team. Online, he doesn't know she's a girl.
gripes - you can have severe social anxiety and not be the most naive person on the planet, and the way everyone was like 'aw , honey' was just on the wrong side of cringe and grim . the writing style as mentioned is really basic , where I imagine a child could follow the plot so I'm probably not the target audience. the ending was so neatly wrapped up but possibly to it's detriment . maybe I'm just not a truly 'happily ever after' gal.
basic writing but an interesting plot about a girl with severe social anxiety who plays games professionally but is hiding that she's a girl.
the big pull is that when she falls for a guy, she and he are totally unaware they've been best friends online since childhood and play on the same e-sports team. Online, he doesn't know she's a girl.
gripes - you can have severe social anxiety and not be the most naive person on the planet, and the way everyone was like 'aw , honey' was just on the wrong side of cringe and grim . the writing style as mentioned is really basic , where I imagine a child could follow the plot so I'm probably not the target audience. the ending was so neatly wrapped up but possibly to it's detriment . maybe I'm just not a truly 'happily ever after' gal.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 29, 2026
[2.5] got sucked into this story from instagram reel ads n managed to find it on kindle. Twas nothing like the ads but also the same at the same time time. The writing was immature and very young but excellent brainrot for not being able to fall asleep and getting through very quickly. Insanely bad commentary on women and the treatment of them in a gaming community apart from how they’re treated in shooting games but the treatment of a social anxiety disorder was kinda really bad? Alas we know by now I like my brainrot romance books and I liked the story up until they actually all met in person lmao
Read
December 19, 2025The overall plot was honestly like a sick concept and that is why i kept reading. And it was entertaining sue me
January 7, 2026
I really like this one, want a great story ❤️
I would have loved some more expliced scenes, but the story made it up for it ❤️
I would have loved some more expliced scenes, but the story made it up for it ❤️
January 22, 2026
The concept is great! The execution….it was giving 2011 Wattpad—& not in a good way. Also, I’m 99.99% sure the audiobook was AI.
March 12, 2026
Read this book because of an add, but jokes on me, the plot twist in the add is not even in the book.
The concept was fun, but the execution was a little lacking. The writing was juvenile and very convenient for certain situations to unfold. But otherwise the story was short and fun.
The concept was fun, but the execution was a little lacking. The writing was juvenile and very convenient for certain situations to unfold. But otherwise the story was short and fun.
March 6, 2026
cute story but characters were inconsistent 😔
example - shy introvert unable to talk to people, she covers up and hids herself... 2 chapters later, walking around in a tank top and short shorts...
finished the story as wants to see where it went, as a whole, it was okay.
example - shy introvert unable to talk to people, she covers up and hids herself... 2 chapters later, walking around in a tank top and short shorts...
finished the story as wants to see where it went, as a whole, it was okay.
December 16, 2025
The premise of the book is interesting. I would love to see this book get a few good rounds of editing to elevate it to its full potential.
December 11, 2025
Plot holes aside, this was a super cute, quick, and easy read. A perfect feel good palette cleanser.
Read
December 29, 2025Not the same story I read a teaser for, but too stubborn to dnf.
January 29, 2026
I thought the concept was cute and the build up was pretty decent.
Some characters were obviously there for easily filling in information (for example the parents really only providing financial and rarely emotional support)
It did feel very immature, though? I don’t mind the writing style— however, it was amusing that all of the main characters were “unnaturally hot”.
There are some details that didn’t track further on in the story (for example the level of “innocence” the main character has)
I also didn’t like the ending. It personally felt rushed after so much build up. I’m happy with the ending but the timing felt off.
Some characters were obviously there for easily filling in information (for example the parents really only providing financial and rarely emotional support)
It did feel very immature, though? I don’t mind the writing style— however, it was amusing that all of the main characters were “unnaturally hot”.
There are some details that didn’t track further on in the story (for example the level of “innocence” the main character has)
I also didn’t like the ending. It personally felt rushed after so much build up. I’m happy with the ending but the timing felt off.
December 19, 2025
I’ll start by saying this was a great concept and a cute and fun read. Overall I did enjoy it. That said, the writing is extremely weak and almost painful at times.
Additionally, I take issue with the way it is advertised because the scene included in the ad (where her gamer pal/crush realizes she’s a girl from her voice and shows up at her door) literally never even happens. The ad also implies a certain level of spice so fair warning to anyone reading this book looking for that - this book is not only not spicy, it is entirely PG. I am all for a cute PG romance, but don’t lie about it to draw in a different kind of audience than the actual target audience for this book.
Additionally, I take issue with the way it is advertised because the scene included in the ad (where her gamer pal/crush realizes she’s a girl from her voice and shows up at her door) literally never even happens. The ad also implies a certain level of spice so fair warning to anyone reading this book looking for that - this book is not only not spicy, it is entirely PG. I am all for a cute PG romance, but don’t lie about it to draw in a different kind of audience than the actual target audience for this book.
December 17, 2025
This has so much potential, but is lacking. It was a fun fluff piece to break up my larger reads, though.
January 4, 2026
First things first, I discovered this book through a Galatea ad, and since I genuinely love Galatea, I went in expecting something strong. The concept in the ad sounded perfect: a girl accidentally unmutes in-game, the guy hears her voice, and then- identity reveal. That never happened. And yeah, that threw me off. Don’t set up a moment that’s not in the book. It’s misleading.
Still, I kept reading. The story’s short, and the plot is engaging enough to get you to the end without losing interest. It’s not one of those draggy reads. The pacing moves, even if the writing sometimes feels rushed or a little too “first draft.”
Charlotte is actually a solid lead. Her social anxiety isn’t overdone, and it made sense in every decision she made. Her dynamic with TJ? Surprisingly natural. The build-up worked. What I appreciated most was the sweetness in how he tried to win her over. It was him wanting her from the start and trying to earn her. I just wish we got more of that part on the page.
The friendship with Tacy was a comfort. Their bond gave the story heart. I also liked the team scenes. The boys didn’t blur into one character, they each added something to her arc.
Now, here’s where it wobbles. Some school and home scenes felt off. Like, big house but no staff? Parents who barely react? It made parts of the world feel underwritten. It doesn’t ruin the book, but it left me raising an eyebrow a few times.
Overall, I liked it. It’s not super polished, but it has charm. The kind of charm that makes you want to root for the characters even if the writing needs more time in the oven. If you’re in the mood for a fast story with a shy but bold heroine, a soft boy who tries, and a few stumbles that don’t totally wreck the vibe, it’s worth a quick read.
Still, I kept reading. The story’s short, and the plot is engaging enough to get you to the end without losing interest. It’s not one of those draggy reads. The pacing moves, even if the writing sometimes feels rushed or a little too “first draft.”
Charlotte is actually a solid lead. Her social anxiety isn’t overdone, and it made sense in every decision she made. Her dynamic with TJ? Surprisingly natural. The build-up worked. What I appreciated most was the sweetness in how he tried to win her over. It was him wanting her from the start and trying to earn her. I just wish we got more of that part on the page.
The friendship with Tacy was a comfort. Their bond gave the story heart. I also liked the team scenes. The boys didn’t blur into one character, they each added something to her arc.
Now, here’s where it wobbles. Some school and home scenes felt off. Like, big house but no staff? Parents who barely react? It made parts of the world feel underwritten. It doesn’t ruin the book, but it left me raising an eyebrow a few times.
Overall, I liked it. It’s not super polished, but it has charm. The kind of charm that makes you want to root for the characters even if the writing needs more time in the oven. If you’re in the mood for a fast story with a shy but bold heroine, a soft boy who tries, and a few stumbles that don’t totally wreck the vibe, it’s worth a quick read.
dnf
March 14, 2026I liked the general concept: Charlotte, a socially anxious girl is gaming online with boys who don't know Mars is a girl. One of them is her best buddy Jupiter and it gets super flirty with him. (So they think Mars is a gay dude.)
The other gamers are complete horndogs apparently, able to play competitively while orgasming, and there seems to be an endless supply of girls willing to entertain someone who pays attention to a game instead of them (is high school like that nowadays??)
The FMC is super naive and clueless and doesn't understand any sexual references except when she does.
Everyone's parents are completely absent, apart from providing gaming equipment. And apparently someone's mom knew that Mars was a girl, although she chose not to inform her son.
Okay, so far so good.
Because they live in the land of coincidences, Charlotte's only friend at school is the twin sister of TJ, the guy she's crushing on in real life, and TJ is secretly Jupiter, the guy she's crushing on online.
Mars and Jupiter have been chatting for years, but apparently they never spoke of his sister Tracy or where they live and go to school and when TJ and Charlotte briefly date, they never speak of this gaming group or the gaming tournament they're planning to go to, or any other details that would help them put two and two together. And Charlotte has some contrived reason to avoid giving TJ her phone number so he doesn't realise he already has it. He knows she's chatting with some guy so he breaks up with her because he is jealous of himself.
Some of this was silly fun, some was a bit awkward. I didn't hate it and I didn't love it. DNF when TJ and Charlotte got back together because the last chapters require me to pay for an app subscription and I just didn't care enough.
The other gamers are complete horndogs apparently, able to play competitively while orgasming, and there seems to be an endless supply of girls willing to entertain someone who pays attention to a game instead of them (is high school like that nowadays??)
The FMC is super naive and clueless and doesn't understand any sexual references except when she does.
Everyone's parents are completely absent, apart from providing gaming equipment. And apparently someone's mom knew that Mars was a girl, although she chose not to inform her son.
Okay, so far so good.
Because they live in the land of coincidences, Charlotte's only friend at school is the twin sister of TJ, the guy she's crushing on in real life, and TJ is secretly Jupiter, the guy she's crushing on online.
Mars and Jupiter have been chatting for years, but apparently they never spoke of his sister Tracy or where they live and go to school and when TJ and Charlotte briefly date, they never speak of this gaming group or the gaming tournament they're planning to go to, or any other details that would help them put two and two together. And Charlotte has some contrived reason to avoid giving TJ her phone number so he doesn't realise he already has it. He knows she's chatting with some guy so he breaks up with her because he is jealous of himself.
Some of this was silly fun, some was a bit awkward. I didn't hate it and I didn't love it. DNF when TJ and Charlotte got back together because the last chapters require me to pay for an app subscription and I just didn't care enough.
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