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Two Can Play That Game
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Expected 17 Nov 26Win a free print copy of this book!
12 days and 02:36:57
10 copies available
U.S. only
After a chance courtside encounter, a fake relationship between a rising influencer and a WNBA star gets a little too real in this swoony sapphic romance.
Chelsea has never cared about sports. But when she’s invited to sit courtside at a New York WNBA game, she welcomes the break from her usual routine. What she doesn’t expect is a basketball nearly colliding with her face—or the six-foot-four hottie who jogs over, flashing a heart-stopping grin, to retrieve it.
Adrienne “AD” Davis is a player on and off the court, notorious for their inability to stay in a relationship. Still, something about Chelsea sticks with them—even though their instant connection can’t bring AD to offer more than one night.
But AD’s agent makes a Chelsea should pretend to be AD’s girlfriend. It’s a strategic move. AD, hoping to retire after this season, needs to lock down some brand deals—but their identity as a Black, nonbinary lesbian with a messy dating history makes sponsors wary. Chelsea, a sex-positive influencer, is ready to pivot her platform, and this feels like the perfect next step. With Chelsea’s network and AD’s star power, they could both strengthen their public images. Once the season ends, they’ll go their separate ways.
As the ruse starts to work and their connection deepens, Chelsea finds herself on unsteady ground. Falling for AD wasn’t part of the plan, and if she lets herself get too close, she might lose the future she’s finally starting to build.
Chelsea has never cared about sports. But when she’s invited to sit courtside at a New York WNBA game, she welcomes the break from her usual routine. What she doesn’t expect is a basketball nearly colliding with her face—or the six-foot-four hottie who jogs over, flashing a heart-stopping grin, to retrieve it.
Adrienne “AD” Davis is a player on and off the court, notorious for their inability to stay in a relationship. Still, something about Chelsea sticks with them—even though their instant connection can’t bring AD to offer more than one night.
But AD’s agent makes a Chelsea should pretend to be AD’s girlfriend. It’s a strategic move. AD, hoping to retire after this season, needs to lock down some brand deals—but their identity as a Black, nonbinary lesbian with a messy dating history makes sponsors wary. Chelsea, a sex-positive influencer, is ready to pivot her platform, and this feels like the perfect next step. With Chelsea’s network and AD’s star power, they could both strengthen their public images. Once the season ends, they’ll go their separate ways.
As the ruse starts to work and their connection deepens, Chelsea finds herself on unsteady ground. Falling for AD wasn’t part of the plan, and if she lets herself get too close, she might lose the future she’s finally starting to build.
304 pages, Paperback
Expected publication November 17, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
August 28, 2026
cute but it felt very repetitive and there was a lack of tension for me :(
June 20, 2026
Sapphic WNBA romance?? I’ve been saying for months that the world needs this and now we have it and it’s fantastic!!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Rating: 3 stars
This is a sweet albeit lackluster fake dating sports romance. I'm really bummed this did not work better for me because this is everything I could want in a book. I love fake dating. I love the WNBA. I love some Black girl love. But alas there was no tension whatsoever in the romance. Chelsea and AD are sleeping together immediately and as grown adults, there was nothing in the way of them just being a couple. This book could have ended by page 40.
I will say I liked both characters and what they stood for. Chelsea, a body positivity sex and dating influencer, was a refreshingly confident and self-assured character. And AD, a nonbinary lesbian, explored the complexity of what it can be like to show up authentically in women's sports and sapphic spaces. I also did enjoy them as a couple and those are the golden nuggets I'm holding onto because there were some other points I took issue with.
This is a sports romance, so the sports do need to be believable. I'm hoping the scores are edited for the final version of the book, otherwise I have no words. With 3 minutes left of one of the most important games of the season, the score is 42-41... The crowd would be asleep. It kept me from feeling invested in the game because how could anyone be interested in a game that is capped at 40 points?? Everyone must have been having the worst game of their lives. Anyway... I'm not detracting from my star rating in the hopes that this very solvable problem is solved in the final edit. Another pet peeve is that the New York Rebels (the mc's team) are clearly just the New York Liberty. They have the same team colors and play at Barclays, but for some reason every other team is called by their actual name. The Lynx, Aces, Valkyries, Fever, etc. all get a shoutout. Either change all the names or none of them, that decision didn't make any sense to me.
All in all this is a perfectly okay book.
rep: bi fmc | nb lesbian mc
This is a sweet albeit lackluster fake dating sports romance. I'm really bummed this did not work better for me because this is everything I could want in a book. I love fake dating. I love the WNBA. I love some Black girl love. But alas there was no tension whatsoever in the romance. Chelsea and AD are sleeping together immediately and as grown adults, there was nothing in the way of them just being a couple. This book could have ended by page 40.
I will say I liked both characters and what they stood for. Chelsea, a body positivity sex and dating influencer, was a refreshingly confident and self-assured character. And AD, a nonbinary lesbian, explored the complexity of what it can be like to show up authentically in women's sports and sapphic spaces. I also did enjoy them as a couple and those are the golden nuggets I'm holding onto because there were some other points I took issue with.
This is a sports romance, so the sports do need to be believable. I'm hoping the scores are edited for the final version of the book, otherwise I have no words. With 3 minutes left of one of the most important games of the season, the score is 42-41... The crowd would be asleep. It kept me from feeling invested in the game because how could anyone be interested in a game that is capped at 40 points?? Everyone must have been having the worst game of their lives. Anyway... I'm not detracting from my star rating in the hopes that this very solvable problem is solved in the final edit. Another pet peeve is that the New York Rebels (the mc's team) are clearly just the New York Liberty. They have the same team colors and play at Barclays, but for some reason every other team is called by their actual name. The Lynx, Aces, Valkyries, Fever, etc. all get a shoutout. Either change all the names or none of them, that decision didn't make any sense to me.
All in all this is a perfectly okay book.
rep: bi fmc | nb lesbian mc
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
had to wait a long time to actually put this review down because i started a vacation and had very specific, detailed things i wanted to say with quotes! sorry to this book unforch because it was not as good as i wanted it to be, which would be okay if it was decent, which it also is not.
there are a couple of things i'm willing to let slide if they're corrected in the version of this book that goes to print. first, if you're gonna change the name of the new york liberty to the new york rebels (which isnt a name that makes geographical sense but whatever) you have to change all of the names of the other teams. the indiana fever should not be jumpscaring me in this book, and neither should the mercury, mystics, or aces!! you have to commit to one or the other, or take the third option and make up a completely new team. second, these cannot be the scores that you're saying wnba teams in the 2020s are making. if the liberty won a game against the fever 54 to 32, people would be calling it brick city. of the 4 scores we get (and the one partial score) there is only ONE that is actually plausable (89-80). literally just look at the last season of games and steal some scores, what are we doing! like i said, these are things that could potentially be changed by the time this book is actually out, but they really pissed me off as someone who watches the W regularly.
now for the actual structural issues that this book has. ad and chelsea have, like, no real conflict for the entire book. sure, they're in a pr relationship, but its a pr relationship with benefits, and neither of them are really torn up about it. there's almost no turmoil about them maybe having feelings for each other, and every time one of them does something the other doesn't like, they immediately communicate to establish a boundary and apologize. that's cool in real life, but i'd like my love stories to have some minor resentments please! some insecurity about the fake dating we're participating in! and it isn't even really fake dating because chelsea and ad are basically just in the kind of situationship where your friends are like "oh, so you're dating?" because you do dating shit and then you lie to them and yourself and say "no we're unlabeled" but you're literally going on dates that do not feel fake for your fake relationship and not feeling any type of way about it. you're dating!!!!!!!
the second thing that killed this for me were the sex scenes. there's barely any tension the first time chelsea and ad sleep together, and all of that is basically gone every other time they fuck, which sucks! sex is basically a sexy lamp here, except its not sexy at all because every scene feels so mechanical. there's no deeper inner monologue to help you get into the characters' heads in the moment, and i honestly could not bring myself to care about any of the scenes in the back half of the book because it felt like we were going through the motions. there is no emotional development in those scenes, so why read them at that point! also, i feel crazy saying this, but there is way too much verbal consent in these scenes. this is not to imply that it isn't important, but holy shit i can only an "i need you to give me verbal consent" "yes" moment so many times before it pisses me off. these characters are longtime hookups, they know what the other person likes, and there are other ways of verbally consenting that aren't clinical as fuck. one of my coworkers gave me a quote from sex beyond "yes": pleasure and agency for everyone that really resonated when i was complaining about this book at work:
straightforward consent has its place in romance novels, especially when they're written with a teen audience in mind, but that isn't the case with this book. it's for adults, the protagonists are in their 30s and don't have any narrative reason to keep returning to this first-hookup kind of interaction (even when they're trying something new, they can just have dialogue that isn't as stilted!!!) and its another factor in what makes this book clunky and kind of emotionless if i'm being completely honest.
i really, really wanted to like this, and i was prepared to let some stuff slide as someone who knows more than the average person about women's basketball, but i can't get behind a book that reads like the author went to a single liberty game and called it good that then has no redeeming qualities when it comes to the rest of the story. i think it has good bones, truly! i think there could be a lot said about ad being nonbinary in a major sports league, i think there could be some interesting things about chelsea being a sex-positive influencer and that getting under the skin of someone in the league, but somehow this book never goes anywhere with anything that could theoretically be an issue for these characters, and it makes for a really boring book.
there are a couple of things i'm willing to let slide if they're corrected in the version of this book that goes to print. first, if you're gonna change the name of the new york liberty to the new york rebels (which isnt a name that makes geographical sense but whatever) you have to change all of the names of the other teams. the indiana fever should not be jumpscaring me in this book, and neither should the mercury, mystics, or aces!! you have to commit to one or the other, or take the third option and make up a completely new team. second, these cannot be the scores that you're saying wnba teams in the 2020s are making. if the liberty won a game against the fever 54 to 32, people would be calling it brick city. of the 4 scores we get (and the one partial score) there is only ONE that is actually plausable (89-80). literally just look at the last season of games and steal some scores, what are we doing! like i said, these are things that could potentially be changed by the time this book is actually out, but they really pissed me off as someone who watches the W regularly.
now for the actual structural issues that this book has. ad and chelsea have, like, no real conflict for the entire book. sure, they're in a pr relationship, but its a pr relationship with benefits, and neither of them are really torn up about it. there's almost no turmoil about them maybe having feelings for each other, and every time one of them does something the other doesn't like, they immediately communicate to establish a boundary and apologize. that's cool in real life, but i'd like my love stories to have some minor resentments please! some insecurity about the fake dating we're participating in! and it isn't even really fake dating because chelsea and ad are basically just in the kind of situationship where your friends are like "oh, so you're dating?" because you do dating shit and then you lie to them and yourself and say "no we're unlabeled" but you're literally going on dates that do not feel fake for your fake relationship and not feeling any type of way about it. you're dating!!!!!!!
the second thing that killed this for me were the sex scenes. there's barely any tension the first time chelsea and ad sleep together, and all of that is basically gone every other time they fuck, which sucks! sex is basically a sexy lamp here, except its not sexy at all because every scene feels so mechanical. there's no deeper inner monologue to help you get into the characters' heads in the moment, and i honestly could not bring myself to care about any of the scenes in the back half of the book because it felt like we were going through the motions. there is no emotional development in those scenes, so why read them at that point! also, i feel crazy saying this, but there is way too much verbal consent in these scenes. this is not to imply that it isn't important, but holy shit i can only an "i need you to give me verbal consent" "yes" moment so many times before it pisses me off. these characters are longtime hookups, they know what the other person likes, and there are other ways of verbally consenting that aren't clinical as fuck. one of my coworkers gave me a quote from sex beyond "yes": pleasure and agency for everyone that really resonated when i was complaining about this book at work:
So much of what we need to say to one another to make sex genuinely good doesn't take the form of a yes-or-no question....We need to talk to one another in order to explore what we want to do and how to do it well together. Much of good sexual communication is not about asking questions or giving answers at all: We should be...expressing our concern and affection for one another, and establishing trust.
- sex beyond "yes": pleasure and agency for everyone, p. 7
straightforward consent has its place in romance novels, especially when they're written with a teen audience in mind, but that isn't the case with this book. it's for adults, the protagonists are in their 30s and don't have any narrative reason to keep returning to this first-hookup kind of interaction (even when they're trying something new, they can just have dialogue that isn't as stilted!!!) and its another factor in what makes this book clunky and kind of emotionless if i'm being completely honest.
i really, really wanted to like this, and i was prepared to let some stuff slide as someone who knows more than the average person about women's basketball, but i can't get behind a book that reads like the author went to a single liberty game and called it good that then has no redeeming qualities when it comes to the rest of the story. i think it has good bones, truly! i think there could be a lot said about ad being nonbinary in a major sports league, i think there could be some interesting things about chelsea being a sex-positive influencer and that getting under the skin of someone in the league, but somehow this book never goes anywhere with anything that could theoretically be an issue for these characters, and it makes for a really boring book.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you to my angel, Zakiya, for letting me read and review this book early. All thoughts are my own!!
Zakiya N. Jamal writes phenomenal and unapologetically queer romances, and I thank her every time!!
Two Can Play That Game follows Chelsea and AD as they fake date each other to boost their online presence. AD needs more sponsorships for when they retire, and Chelsea is trying to switch up her content. Together, they create a fake relationship that is mutually beneficial, in more ways than one. 😏
Chelsea has built a brand as a sex and dating influencer. She loves it, but she’s ready to add some new things into the mix. I loved how much she loves what she does. Just because her work looks a little different doesn’t make it any less valuable, especially as a queer Black woman. AD is nearing retirement and unsure if that’s the way they want to go. They love basketball, but they don’t want to be forced to stop playing because they’ve pushed too hard and gotten injured. They want to leave on their own terms. I loved how much our main characters love their jobs. They’re both passionate and driven, and I appreciated seeing that in a romance novel.
The two had instant sexual tension, and they acted on it. 🤭 I really enjoyed watching the emotional side of their relationship build over the course of the book. They had some really tender moments of opening up to each other, and it was very sweet. They’re also both very sexy, and I was having to put my e-reader down every now and then to screech and giggle before I could continue.
Watching Chelsea connect to the other players’ partners was very cute! I loved that they folded her right into the group, and I loved getting to see their dynamics play out. I loved the friendships in this book in general, and I would read a book about each of the side characters/couples from this book.
I loved seeing Stella and Max again!! I’m so happy to know that they’re getting married and still madly in love (obviously they would be as their book was also a romance, but it’s nice to have on page confirmation).
I will be patiently waiting for whatever Zakiya writes next!!
Zakiya N. Jamal writes phenomenal and unapologetically queer romances, and I thank her every time!!
Two Can Play That Game follows Chelsea and AD as they fake date each other to boost their online presence. AD needs more sponsorships for when they retire, and Chelsea is trying to switch up her content. Together, they create a fake relationship that is mutually beneficial, in more ways than one. 😏
Chelsea has built a brand as a sex and dating influencer. She loves it, but she’s ready to add some new things into the mix. I loved how much she loves what she does. Just because her work looks a little different doesn’t make it any less valuable, especially as a queer Black woman. AD is nearing retirement and unsure if that’s the way they want to go. They love basketball, but they don’t want to be forced to stop playing because they’ve pushed too hard and gotten injured. They want to leave on their own terms. I loved how much our main characters love their jobs. They’re both passionate and driven, and I appreciated seeing that in a romance novel.
The two had instant sexual tension, and they acted on it. 🤭 I really enjoyed watching the emotional side of their relationship build over the course of the book. They had some really tender moments of opening up to each other, and it was very sweet. They’re also both very sexy, and I was having to put my e-reader down every now and then to screech and giggle before I could continue.
Watching Chelsea connect to the other players’ partners was very cute! I loved that they folded her right into the group, and I loved getting to see their dynamics play out. I loved the friendships in this book in general, and I would read a book about each of the side characters/couples from this book.
I loved seeing Stella and Max again!! I’m so happy to know that they’re getting married and still madly in love (obviously they would be as their book was also a romance, but it’s nice to have on page confirmation).
I will be patiently waiting for whatever Zakiya writes next!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
GAHHHH I LOVED AD AND CHELSEA SO MUCH 😭
admittedly i know next to nothing about basketball but i do know i am a sucker for fake dating and absolutely anything Zakiya writes!! i think this has to be my favorite meet cute i’ve read so far this year, between chelsea’s fast reflexes (hot) and ADs flirting and winking (also hot) i was instantly bewitched by the both of them.
this book is a tad on the shorter side than most of the books i have read in the last year and the reason i bring that up is to shout out just how phenomenal of a writer i think Zakiya is because not once did anything feel rushed, the pacing felt super natural, the progression from strangers to friends to falling and wanting a real relationship was SO good and most importantly it didnt leave me wanting for anything. i of course would have happy taken 100-200 more pages of them but thats just bc im greedy and love her writing so much that id read her grocery list lol BUT everything was wrapped up perfectly and i didnt leave this book feeling like i needed more of anything. that feels very rare for me these days so to leave a 304 page book feeling that way is always such a phenomenal feeling.
i always love the bi panic i get when reading zakiyas work, i was constantly blushing and giggling while reading this book. i was very happy to be in the cuck chair for this one bc HOT damn, AD and chelsea’s chemistry felt explosive. its so palpable that i think they could make sitting there fully clothed reading a dictionary together feel erotic.
i am very much looking forward to getting my hands on the audio of this when it releases, as much as i loved reading them i think hearing them come to life would transcend the experience 🤭
admittedly i know next to nothing about basketball but i do know i am a sucker for fake dating and absolutely anything Zakiya writes!! i think this has to be my favorite meet cute i’ve read so far this year, between chelsea’s fast reflexes (hot) and ADs flirting and winking (also hot) i was instantly bewitched by the both of them.
this book is a tad on the shorter side than most of the books i have read in the last year and the reason i bring that up is to shout out just how phenomenal of a writer i think Zakiya is because not once did anything feel rushed, the pacing felt super natural, the progression from strangers to friends to falling and wanting a real relationship was SO good and most importantly it didnt leave me wanting for anything. i of course would have happy taken 100-200 more pages of them but thats just bc im greedy and love her writing so much that id read her grocery list lol BUT everything was wrapped up perfectly and i didnt leave this book feeling like i needed more of anything. that feels very rare for me these days so to leave a 304 page book feeling that way is always such a phenomenal feeling.
i always love the bi panic i get when reading zakiyas work, i was constantly blushing and giggling while reading this book. i was very happy to be in the cuck chair for this one bc HOT damn, AD and chelsea’s chemistry felt explosive. its so palpable that i think they could make sitting there fully clothed reading a dictionary together feel erotic.
i am very much looking forward to getting my hands on the audio of this when it releases, as much as i loved reading them i think hearing them come to life would transcend the experience 🤭
August 17, 2026
Jamal found the perfect blend of sports and romance with TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME.
AD is a force both on the court and off. Their meet cute with Chelsea may have started with a basketball almost decking Chelsea in the face, but it led to such a fun dynamic between the two right from the jump.
Chelsea is an incredibly confident and self-aware FMC and I enjoyed reading about her journey as an influencer.
In Jamal's adult debut, SPARKS FLY, readers were introduced to Chelsea. I was excited to learn that she'd be getting her own love story, and even more delighted to get cameos from the characters I fell in love with in SPARKS FLY.
As someone who is not a basketball fan, I found myself rooting for AD's personal journey in the WNBA as well as her team's success. I appreciated the dialogue around a professional athlete on the verge of retiring and how it affects them both in the present and as they look at the future.
There was just the right amount of sports content that will satisfy both sports fans and non-sports fans.
TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME is a swoony sapphic romance with fake dating and a fun cast of characters!
AD is a force both on the court and off. Their meet cute with Chelsea may have started with a basketball almost decking Chelsea in the face, but it led to such a fun dynamic between the two right from the jump.
Chelsea is an incredibly confident and self-aware FMC and I enjoyed reading about her journey as an influencer.
In Jamal's adult debut, SPARKS FLY, readers were introduced to Chelsea. I was excited to learn that she'd be getting her own love story, and even more delighted to get cameos from the characters I fell in love with in SPARKS FLY.
As someone who is not a basketball fan, I found myself rooting for AD's personal journey in the WNBA as well as her team's success. I appreciated the dialogue around a professional athlete on the verge of retiring and how it affects them both in the present and as they look at the future.
There was just the right amount of sports content that will satisfy both sports fans and non-sports fans.
TWO CAN PLAY THAT GAME is a swoony sapphic romance with fake dating and a fun cast of characters!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review! This comes out November 17th.
From the publisher: “After a chance courtside encounter, a fake relationship between a rising influencer and a WNBA star gets a little too real in this swoony sapphic romance.”
I inhaled this romance in one day. I just couldn’t put it down. I was so excited to read a sapphic romance with a nonbinary main character and this didn’t disappoint! I also enjoyed the societal commentary with Chelsea being a sex and body positivity influencer.
I loved how vital the friendships in this book were, especially Chelsea’s group of friends and her cousin. I’ve read too many romance books where the friends are nothing more than someone for the character to occasionally talk to on the phone so it’s always refreshing when they truly mean something to the main characters.
The third act conflict was so quick that it felt like it easily could have been cut. I don’t know if writers are told that in romance they have to have a third act conflict or what but so many of them bring down the rating for me. Luckily this time it wasn’t as bad as others I’ve read, thus the excellent 4.5 star rating, but it was definitely still annoying!
I loved Two Can Play That Game and highly recommend it to romance readers! I’m excited to read more from Zakiya N. Jamal in the future and will be absolutely purchasing myself a copy!
From the publisher: “After a chance courtside encounter, a fake relationship between a rising influencer and a WNBA star gets a little too real in this swoony sapphic romance.”
I inhaled this romance in one day. I just couldn’t put it down. I was so excited to read a sapphic romance with a nonbinary main character and this didn’t disappoint! I also enjoyed the societal commentary with Chelsea being a sex and body positivity influencer.
I loved how vital the friendships in this book were, especially Chelsea’s group of friends and her cousin. I’ve read too many romance books where the friends are nothing more than someone for the character to occasionally talk to on the phone so it’s always refreshing when they truly mean something to the main characters.
The third act conflict was so quick that it felt like it easily could have been cut. I don’t know if writers are told that in romance they have to have a third act conflict or what but so many of them bring down the rating for me. Luckily this time it wasn’t as bad as others I’ve read, thus the excellent 4.5 star rating, but it was definitely still annoying!
I loved Two Can Play That Game and highly recommend it to romance readers! I’m excited to read more from Zakiya N. Jamal in the future and will be absolutely purchasing myself a copy!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Thank you to Netgalley for the e-arc
I really enjoyed this story. Both AD and chelsea developed as characters just as quickly as their relationship did. AD's vulnerability and Chelsea's openness really resonated with me. As a fan of the WNBA it was interesting to see the "life of a WAG" in a league that is made up of a great many queer people. AD reminded me of BG, AT, and Natasha Cloud rolled into one. I was glad that their relationship was handled delicately even with the online aspects of a fake relationship. It made it to the point for me that the relationship was almost instantly believe able because of the physical chemistry. Making the emotional intimacy unfold at a nice even pace. I will say the one and only thing that threw me off were the team names. I would have prefered that all the team names be changed, rather than just the rebels.
I really enjoyed this story. Both AD and chelsea developed as characters just as quickly as their relationship did. AD's vulnerability and Chelsea's openness really resonated with me. As a fan of the WNBA it was interesting to see the "life of a WAG" in a league that is made up of a great many queer people. AD reminded me of BG, AT, and Natasha Cloud rolled into one. I was glad that their relationship was handled delicately even with the online aspects of a fake relationship. It made it to the point for me that the relationship was almost instantly believe able because of the physical chemistry. Making the emotional intimacy unfold at a nice even pace. I will say the one and only thing that threw me off were the team names. I would have prefered that all the team names be changed, rather than just the rebels.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was cute, and I think it was my first WNBA romance, so that's also pretty fun. I liked Chelsea and AD both as individual characters and as a couple, though I did find myself missing a bit of the queer friend group dynamics from Sparks Fly. I also have to mention that it was a little weird/offputting that the NY Liberty got a new name/mascot (NY Rebels in this), but they were playing a bunch of real teams. Personally, I prefer when all the teams are fictional, but if it is going to be a mix of real and fictional, I think it just works better when the fictional team belongs to a city that doesn't already have a real team. Anyways, definitely recommend this to anyone looking for diverse sports romance!
September 6, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Thank you to Berkley for an arc of Two Can Play That Game by Zakiya Jamal.
As we all know, I love myself a good sapphic romance! Add in a sports romance and fake dating? This book was calling to me!
Chelsea and AD meet at a basketball game where AD accidentally throws the ball at Chelsea. This kicks off a one night stand turned friends with benefits. AD, ready to retire from WNBA, decides that publicly dating Chelsea will help her bring in brand deals and set her up for retirement. Chelsea has been looking to pivot her social media presence and uses this as an opportunity.
I will say that this is the typical easy binge if you’re looking for a smutty time. I did wish there was a bit more meat to the story but overall it was a perfect quick weekend read!
If you love:
🏀 sports romance
🏀 meet cute one night stand
🏀 bi x lesbian pairing
🏀 fake dating
🏀 friends with benefits
then make sure to preorder and read Two Can Play That Game when it comes out in November!
Thank you to Berkley for an arc of Two Can Play That Game by Zakiya Jamal.
As we all know, I love myself a good sapphic romance! Add in a sports romance and fake dating? This book was calling to me!
Chelsea and AD meet at a basketball game where AD accidentally throws the ball at Chelsea. This kicks off a one night stand turned friends with benefits. AD, ready to retire from WNBA, decides that publicly dating Chelsea will help her bring in brand deals and set her up for retirement. Chelsea has been looking to pivot her social media presence and uses this as an opportunity.
I will say that this is the typical easy binge if you’re looking for a smutty time. I did wish there was a bit more meat to the story but overall it was a perfect quick weekend read!
If you love:
🏀 sports romance
🏀 meet cute one night stand
🏀 bi x lesbian pairing
🏀 fake dating
🏀 friends with benefits
then make sure to preorder and read Two Can Play That Game when it comes out in November!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
I much preferred this book to the first one, Sparks Fly! I think I was drawn to Chelsea's character, and I even mentioned in my review of that book that I wanted more from her. Well, I definitely got that with this book! I really enjoyed the exploration of Chelsea, a bisexual, sex- and body-positive influencer, and AD, a nonbinary WNBA player. Their relationship was special and cherished. The characters in the book were all open and accepted everyone for who they were. I also enjoyed the exploration of Tasha and her wives. We usually only hear about sister wives in relation to a man, so this was refreshing. I do feel like it opened my eyes to some things and has allowed me to better understand some of the people around me.
June 21, 2026
Review of advanced copy received from the author
Thank you Zakiya N Jamal for the arc and for writing this book!
Sapphic romance in NYC featuring a WNBA player? many things I love wrapped into one.
Really enjoyed this book! Both leads were engaging and likable, as were the supporting characters in Chelsea’s friend group and AD’s teammates/the WAGS. This was a funny, cute, and enlightening read (for someone that doesn’t know many NB folx personally). I think this book did a great job blending the sexy scenes into regular scenes so it didn’t feel forced when they fell in love.
And the steamy scenes were STEAMY.
10/10 my first read by Jamal but won’t be my last
Thank you Zakiya N Jamal for the arc and for writing this book!
Sapphic romance in NYC featuring a WNBA player? many things I love wrapped into one.
Really enjoyed this book! Both leads were engaging and likable, as were the supporting characters in Chelsea’s friend group and AD’s teammates/the WAGS. This was a funny, cute, and enlightening read (for someone that doesn’t know many NB folx personally). I think this book did a great job blending the sexy scenes into regular scenes so it didn’t feel forced when they fell in love.
And the steamy scenes were STEAMY.
10/10 my first read by Jamal but won’t be my last
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This is a low angst romance with a good amount of sex, but maybe less "romance" than I expected. By that, I mean there are fewer moments of them getting to know each other than I would have liked. However, I was rooting for Chelsea and AD to become a couple, and I think the fake dating trope was used well here, especially with Chelsea being an influencer. I felt their chemistry. It was sweet to see Chelsea who knew nothing about the game get into it in support of AD.
It's a good time if you want something light. I also appreciated that we got to see some game play because a few of the books I've read recently that also have WNBA characters completely bypass that.
It's a good time if you want something light. I also appreciated that we got to see some game play because a few of the books I've read recently that also have WNBA characters completely bypass that.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
- This book was so sweet and spicy. It was a really fun read that I devoured really quickly.
- I’m not a HUGE sports romance fan because I hate sports but this was a good fit for me because there wasn’t very much sports in it.
- I didn’t realize the connection to Sparks Fly right away in that Chelsea was Stella’s roommate. There is actually a bit of overlap between the two books but you definitely don’t need to read it to enjoy this one (though you really should read it because it’s really good).
- Chelsea and AD had great chemistry and their relationship worked so well because they were exactly what the other needed.
Overall, this was an excellent sapphic sports romance and I highly recommend you check it out! Thank you to NetGalley and Berkely for the ARC!
- I’m not a HUGE sports romance fan because I hate sports but this was a good fit for me because there wasn’t very much sports in it.
- I didn’t realize the connection to Sparks Fly right away in that Chelsea was Stella’s roommate. There is actually a bit of overlap between the two books but you definitely don’t need to read it to enjoy this one (though you really should read it because it’s really good).
- Chelsea and AD had great chemistry and their relationship worked so well because they were exactly what the other needed.
Overall, this was an excellent sapphic sports romance and I highly recommend you check it out! Thank you to NetGalley and Berkely for the ARC!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This was a cute spicy, sapphic fake dating sports romance.
I had to get use to reading one of the main characters refer to themselves in 3rd person (they, themselves, their).
This was my first time reading a nonbinary character, which was interesting learning how they viewed themselves. They was a little bit irritating at first and came across so indecisive to me.
However, I love fake dating tropes because you know they are bound to catch feelings for each other, which makes for a warm and fuzzy story.
Thank you, @BerkleyPub @BerkleyRomance for they netgalley arc!
I had to get use to reading one of the main characters refer to themselves in 3rd person (they, themselves, their).
This was my first time reading a nonbinary character, which was interesting learning how they viewed themselves. They was a little bit irritating at first and came across so indecisive to me.
However, I love fake dating tropes because you know they are bound to catch feelings for each other, which makes for a warm and fuzzy story.
Thank you, @BerkleyPub @BerkleyRomance for they netgalley arc!
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I’ve been on a basketball kick since the Knicks win, and although there’s not as much basketball as I was expecting I still reallyyyy loved this one. Sapphic romance with nonbinary rep, fake dating trope & found family. I hope we get more books centered around their friends!!
Review of advance copy received from Edelweiss+
my babies 😭😭😭😭😭 i know nothing about basketball or being an influencer but honestly this book is very inspiring and now i want a 6 foot tall partner who plays sports so i might have to give the influencer thing a shot
October 6, 2026
This was a fun read! It was a bit predictable and almost too face-paced that I couldn’t get myself invested in the story. Loved reading a WNBA book during the WNBA playoffs!
Thank you berkley romance for the arc!
Thank you berkley romance for the arc!
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Alas, this book contains zero romantic tension and absolutely no narrative stakes.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Full review to come, but 4.5 rounded up for me, this was YUMMY bye
7.4 update - thank you to NetGalley and the author for this e-arc!
Let me tell you right now - Two Can Play That Game is my FAV romcom of the year - and I say this as someone who doesn't usually read romcoms 😂
This story follows Chelsea and AD after a meet-cute at one of AD's games. This introduction leads to a bit of mutually beneficial fake dating, and oooooweee did I eat this UP 😂
Two Can Play That Game was flirty, sexy, and you could feel the chemistry RADIATE off the page between this duo.
Truly had SO much fun reading this!!! If you're looking for a fun, spicy, sapphic read that feels like an early 2000s movie IN THE BEST WAY, read this, thank ya!! 💕💕
7.4 update - thank you to NetGalley and the author for this e-arc!
Let me tell you right now - Two Can Play That Game is my FAV romcom of the year - and I say this as someone who doesn't usually read romcoms 😂
This story follows Chelsea and AD after a meet-cute at one of AD's games. This introduction leads to a bit of mutually beneficial fake dating, and oooooweee did I eat this UP 😂
Two Can Play That Game was flirty, sexy, and you could feel the chemistry RADIATE off the page between this duo.
Truly had SO much fun reading this!!! If you're looking for a fun, spicy, sapphic read that feels like an early 2000s movie IN THE BEST WAY, read this, thank ya!! 💕💕
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