Book Review: Two Can Play
I am a sucker for an Ali Hazelwood audio novella. Her first STEMinist novella, Under One Roof is one of my favourites of her entire bibliography, because she really can pack an emotional, heartwarming, and genuinely funny story in a really short amount of time.
The story follows Viola, a video game designer whose company is bidding for the chance to work on the newest video game adaptation of a popular book series, a series Viola happens to love. But another company is in talks to work on the adaptation as well, and they just happen to be her company’s rivals, not to mention the place of work of Jesse, her nemesis. The two teams might be able to collaborate on the project, but with such animosity between them, there’s only one way to ensure a happy work environment: a cozy corporate retreat to a ski lodge of course.
Unlike Hazelwood’s other novellas, which mostly revolved around the central couple in a single space without anyone else around — putting a large focus on just their relationship and dynamic — Two Can Play has a large rom-com ensemble cast to build out the story. This winds up making the novel overall feel a little fluffier than the earlier novellas (not a bad thing by any means!), though of course the fluff only lasts until we get to the spicy bits, which are equal parts steamy and sweet.
Two Can Play is only available in audio format for now, though not confined to those with Spotify subscriptions. If reading on page is more your speed, Hazelwood has mentioned on her site that the book will at the very least get an e-book release next year sometime.
Two Can Play is out now.
