I wasn’t able to read this one as I have not been able to download a copy. As I was bot able to read the book, I will still give it a five star review because it was not the author’s fault.

This was just an okay read for me, nothing memorable. Thankfully it is a short read because there was not much going on in the story other than a lot of gaming.

The characters were just alright. They did not feel well developed or flushed out. The voices all sounded the same with the same flat personalities. I didn't like how the main character, Katie, wanted nothing more than to have a boyfriend. I get that any teen wants a boyfriend/girlfriend, but to make it one of the main focuses of the story didn't set right with me. I didn't read it as adorable or relatable. I also did not like how the love interest, Alex, used females to hide his feelings. It often came across the wrong way and it was tough to look past that.

The pacing was decent, but it wasn't a long story so there was not a whole lot of time for something to happen. The plot itself was what I had a bigger issue with. See statements above about how the MC wanted nothing more than a boyfriend and the MC's love interest seemed to use females.

One other note: the title does not fit the overall story. It was misleading, hence the reason I struggled with this story. I was expecting a sweet rom-com but that wasn't what the story really was.

Loved this one! This review is very late but the characters and love story in this novel were great! The writing wasn’t really my thing so that’s why I’m giving it 4 stars

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I could not get into this book. The characters were annoying and frustrating to me, it may just be that I am far removed from my teens and this seems so stupid, but I loved teen books, so I am kind of annoyed.

Another winner from Casey Griffin! I could relate to Katie quite a bit, and just adored her character. Alex was also a sweetheart of a guy.

As per usual, there is a great balance of heart, depth, and laughter here that makes you want to keep reading. I was sad to see it end!

This is a fun contemporary romp. In Playing Her Secret Crush Katie and Alex have good reasons for keeping each other in the friend zone. Alex decides senior year is the time to give up his fast paced ways and find a girlfriend. When he asks his best friend to help he thinks who better than the girl he can’t stop thinking about? Katie decides that’s her cue to move on too. With hearts on the line everything comes to a head when their team makes it to the video game championship in Las Vegas.

This was such a fun story. I loved the video game elements and Katie and Alex’s friendship. Lexi was a nice addition to the story. Overall I thought it was cute, and would definitely recommend it to ya contemporary fans.

*I received an ARC of this book from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.*

Playing Her Secret Crush is a fun, quick reading with a glimpse of gaming world which I am so excited to read. Katie has a crush on Alex but he has already friend-zone her but they stay as a best friend. Senior year is approaching she decided to be more outgoing and be confident with herself more than before and want to get to know new people. Her determination somehow gets distracted when Alex wants her help to find him a girlfriend.

Both characters are very likable. The storyline easy to catch up. It is fun, quick reading and really enjoyable as well.

3.5 stars

REceived in exchange for a honest review.

The story overall was a feel good one that teaches us about friendships, loyalty and family.

You can tell that Alex likes Katie but he is trying to honor his brother who died. Only what Alex perceived may have been wrong and the whole time he was living life to its fullest with risks he was not taking the biggest risk and gaining the best reward because of a misunderstanding. Or at least that was my impression. Alex is sweet, funny, smart and kind. He and Katie were great together. They understood one another and respected each other. But he put her in the friend zone due to his thoughts that his brother liked her before he died.

Katie has always had a crush on Alex and is sitting watching him take so many risks due to a promise to his brother. ONly the one thing that is keeping them apart-to me she can clear up if she knew-is his brother. Katie is sweet, genuine and kind.

In this story we watch Katie and Alex work together and yet apart in so many ways. They mesh well and Alex is trying to become more settled. So he asks for Katie to help but in the process he falls in love with her. Meanwhile he is still taking crazy risks and we see him almost lose alot because of his risks.

I love Alex and Katie together and with their friends. You see how much they like one another and how much support they have from not only each other but their friends. The story is sweet and fun. Quirky and entertaining. A entertaining light read that just has you smile and feel good in the end.

It's funny and very entertaining!

The author sure knows her game, it was written so well that it inspires readers to have a wide imagination and experience a magical world of online game. There is definitely a plot twist!

It shows a lot of moral lessons even when playing - teamwork and sportsmanship. We are living in a digital world which there are a lot of players (people) who will encounter several levels and quests that challenge their styles and how they can handle each.

It was also told how a player can either be selfish (stealing all powers and loots of his teammates) or a good team leader/member. There is definitely a plot twist with the characters' love story.

The story has been told by a 3rd-person and somehow it kind of confused me since there are a lot of characters mentioned. It was difficult for me to distinguish which is which since there are only 2 pronouns used, "he and she", "him and her", I'm confused whether it's Lexi or Katie each time the author would say "she" or "her".

It's unique and it's my first time to read a book that includes an online game plot. Though, I'm not sure if the book has the correct title, it should've been something about best-friends-turn-to-lovers, loving-a-bestfriend, liking-a-girl-that's-not-on-the-same-team or just about the game itself.

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So cute, so sweet, so everything. I love friends-to-lovers always, and this did not disappoint. Katie and Alex were just so darn cute together, navigating the sticky universe of teenage romance.

This is one of those books that you read in an afternoon and totally love - it's adorable! You also know you haven't really learnt anything and, in all honesty, you’ll probably never pick it up again.

The premise is unique and I enjoyed the video-game plot. Other than that, it didn't feel particularly... original (but then, YA contemporary romances never really seem to be).

I’d recommend it for a light summer read, but please don’t go in looking for something magnificent. Expect a hallmark film rather than Fight Club.

This is so short, because I have nothing to say other than that! But I did enjoy it.

4.5 stars — Okay, I had NO IDEA that this was going to feature nerdiness and gaming!! While I’m not a gamer of ANY TYPE whatsoever, I really loved having another nerdy little book to read!! The elements of the game that Ms. Griffin added to the book were so real and rich and really added to the story…

I was super pleasantly surprised by this book! Not that I had low expectations or anything, I guess I just didn’t have ANY expectations, and I enjoyed myself so much! 1) I love a good friends to lovers trope. 2) I adore nerdiness. 3) Some secondary diversity, yay! 4) Dude, both characters went through so much development in this story. 5) I’m sure I have more, but enough with the numbers already.

I was SOOOOOO worried that I was going to get frustrated with the back and forth, as I had in my previous friends to lovers read…not to mention my heart immediately started aching with the introduction of Lexi, and I was so worried about the direction the book was going to take. BUT THEN something magical happened. The ups and downs of Alex and Katie’s journey to each other made sense for them, and totally worked out on a timeline I could appreciate. This is not to say that I didn’t grow frustrated with them, or that I didn’t groan at some choices…but I expect a bit of that. I was just worried it was going to be too much, you know?

Alex was hella damaged yo. Seeing him struggling with his grief by ignoring it just broke my heart. And knowing what his brother meant while Alex kept sticking to his misinterpretation was HARD!!! But the thing I appreciated about Alex’s struggles, and his “playboy” ways, is that it all had a purpose. And you could tell that even Alex didn’t really feel like it was him, but that he was trying to live up to a promise to his brother. Still…that boy was stubborn. But I think that’s what made his turnaround so satisfying — I felt it…I saw him starting to figure things out. I believed it when he did finally.

And Katie’s struggles with learning to love herself and pick herself first was equally as important! I sometimes find that one character’s story overshadows another, but I didn’t really feel that in this one. I FELT for Katie feeling like she was always picked last and looked over. My heart hurt for her as she struggled to figure out how to change that. I cheered for her when she finally figured out that it wasn’t about her outer appearance! Her journey was truly satisfying, and took the right amount of time to believe that her growth was realistic.

The two of them together were both ridiculously adorable and frustrating! But I actually understood each of their reluctance to admit their feelings for the other. It didn’t feel unreasonable, even as it made me want to smack them. I loved the way they cared for one another. I loved the butterflies I got when they had their moments…AND THAT KISS!! Or rather kisses! Their love story was truly adorable.

I had a few moments where I was worried about how the story was going to play out, and sometimes I still wasn’t super happy (uh concussion??), but in the end Ms. Griffin always brought back consequences so that I was appeased.

This book had a secondary cast whose appearances really added to the story. I adored Penny and Trevor, and their little motley crew. I loved the moments Katie had with her Mom. Ben was even kind of adorable, even if he wasn’t right for Katie. But MOSTLY I was super impressed with Lexi. The story with Lexi was so much richer than I was expecting, and I LOVED how it played out. I knew exactly what was happening practically from the first meeting, and I was just so impressed to have that element in the story. I thought it was very well done, and really added. I would love to see her story!

So yeah, like I said, this one was a super pleasant surprise! It was fun, had a great balance of light and heavy, and I always love me a good nerdy book.

This was a cute read that touched on a lot of sweet moments. Katie wants her senior year to be special, after feeling like a wallflower for most of her school years. Alex's brother passed away and he is reluctant to pursue the girl his brother had liked first.

This story was just okay for me. I am not sure what turned me off exactly, but I just didn't love it. The character were flat and I didn't make connections or relate to the story like I usually do.

A fun, lighthearted read for anyone who enjoys a contemporary young adult novel, I would recommend it for an easy, quick read for anyone who enjoys the YA genre.

I am so sorry to say this, but I really forced myself to read this book. I usually really like the light young adult romances Entangled publishes and I hoped I'd like this one especially, since it's the nerdy type of book. But I didn't. The author wrote a book, but it's mainly about gaming itself. It was like a written step-by-step online game. Everything was described, the world, the avatars, the charakters, their power, their motive, the mission. And while I'm sure a lot of readers really appreciated that, I didn't. Because I didn't care. I didn't want a game instruction. But the novel is basically that. With a little romance involved.

I'm sure it's meant to be sweet and there were parts I liked - for example Katie and Alex' new friend, the way the author dealt with her and her story. That was nice. And sure, Alex and Katie themselves were adorable too, but unfortunately it was either always: "Oh, no. I can't be with her" from Alex' side or just these game instructions I told you about. Not much else.

So, this is probably the shortest review I have ever written. And I am so sorry about how harsh I may appear to be, but Playing Her Secret Crush just wasn't for me.

Playing Her Secret Crush was a cute, quick and easy read that had many of the tropes that I have come to adore in the Young Adult genre.

Katie and Alex have been friends for years, bought together through their love of gaming they then bonded over the death of Alex's brother; both harbour a secret crush on one another but are oblivious to each other’s feelings so never act on it.

When Katie decides that she wants to make changes in her life she asks Alex for help, he in turn asks Katie to help him get a girlfriend, this is where things become complex and quite entertaining.

There was no slow to burn romance in this book unfortunately, we could already predict based on the blurb what would happen more or less which lessened the anticipation. It was enjoyable despite this

I enjoyed the characters, their backstories were intriguing and the secondary characters were all written well.

Another aspect that I enjoyed was the gaming, I was just as keen to see who would win the Caroon competition, it was a fun subplot.

Overall, Playing Her Secret Crush was a light and fluffy YA contemporary that was written well. I am keen to read more books by this author.

Thank you to Entangled Publishing via Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this title.

Playing Her Secret Crush is a fun fast paced contemporary young adult novel. A lovely and fun story of two people who unexpected fall in love. The characters are relatable and the plot is realistic making it easy to get hooked from the beginning. Playing Her Secret Crush is the perfect beach read.

Playing her Secret Crush is a young adult contemporary romance by Casey Griffin. I have read an adult contemporary romance from Casey Griffin, called Must Love Wieners (a rescue dog romance) and it was so cute and funny. I really enjoyed it, but this was my first young adult novel I have read by her. And I am happy to report that this book was just a cute, though in a different way. Playing Her Secret Crush is a young adult best friends romance featuring best friends that love to play a role playing type of computer game together. It hit so many of the things I love to see in my young adult contemporaries- gaming, best friends romance, and the matchmaking tropes. Playing her Secret Crush is a fun read, perfect for summer time.

Playing her Secret Crush is the story of best friends Katie and Alex. Katie and Alex have been best friends for years, they bonded over the illness and death of Alex's older brother and the game that brought the three of them together- Caroon. I really loved the computer game aspect of this novel. Katie and Alex, along with the rest of their gaming team enter to win a professional Caroon competition. The actual game itself seems massive and really cool, and I found myself just as excited to read this subplot and see who won the competition as I was in the romance in the story.

The romance aspect was lots of fun, and yes, it was pretty predictable. Especially the Lexi aspect. Lexi is the new girl that Alex has a crush on, and wants to use Katie to help set him up. Katie meanwhile, wants to find a guy so her own love life is a success for her senior year of high school. I "called" what was really going on with Lexi/Alex/ Katie really early on, but I didn't mind that Playing her Secret Crush was predictable because it was satisfying in the way a quick lighthearted YA romance can be. It was fun and cute and the ending was satisfying and was just what I wanted.

Bottom line: if you are a fan of best friends romances and you like gaming, Playing her Secret Crush is going to be a nice and easy win for you. A quick, cute read that you can finish in one sitting.

This book is a cute contemporary book about falling for your best friend and how that changes everything. This book in particular, revolves around a professional gaming event that Katie, the main girl, and Alex, the main boy, have been trying to get into for a while.

Katie and Alex have been best friends for a couple of years and throughout this time they have both been harboring a secret crush for one another. The one thing standing in their way is Alex’s loyalty to his older brother.

I really enjoy the trope of falling for your best friend and I thought this book pulled it off in a really cute way. I also thought the gaming part of the book was pretty interesting and unique. This book was pretty predictable, however, and while I enjoyed this book there was something that kind of bugged me about this book and had me putting off the review.

WARNING…SPOILERS AHEAD….
There is this girl Lexi that moved into the town and Alex is trying to use her as a replacement for his feelings for Katie…the catch is…Lexi has feelings for Katie herself. Now, to me it was pretty obvious throughout the book that Lexi was interested in Katie but I feel like it was meant to be this huge plot twist and that’s the part that kind of bugged me. I don’t think that her sexuality should have been used as a plot twist, I understand the book wouldn’t have been the same if we the reader knew from the beginning that Lexi was into girls but the reveal kind of rubbed me the wrong way. I should be able to say that this book features an LGBT character without feeling like I’m spoiling a major plot of the book.

I give this book a 3.5 out of 5 stars.