B review at SBTB: https://smartbitchestrashybooks.com/reviews/playing-house-by-ruby-lang/

"Despite my quibbles about the rushed ending, I enjoyed Playing House and look forward to reading future installments set in the NYC real estate community. It’s a must-read for the summer if you’re looking for an adorable, empathetic, and joyful romance. And if like me, you’re having trouble coping with the never-ending stress and misery of real life, I encourage you to pick up Playing House to transport you into another world for a few hours. It might be the escape you desperately need; it certainly was for me."

This is really cutely written! It's quicker than I expected, and novellas often feel a little too underdeveloped to me, but this one wasn't too bad in that respect.

3 - 3.5 Stars

This is the first entry to a new series by another new-to-me author this year and it was actually off on a good start. PLAYING HOUSE is a playful, relaxed read featuring two long time colleagues slash Chinese American friends - Fay was (supposedly) moving on from her divorce and Oliver was still hunting for new job after the company he worked for folded - who were thrown together due to serendipitous situation. What followed were a series of <i>non-dating</i> dates between the two; stirring up long-suppressed attractions between them.

Ludicrously droll, PLAYING HOUSE read like a kind of on dit you happened to hear from a friend IRL. It felt real and relatable. The issue Fay and Oliver struggled with were something familiar to each and any one of us, it’s funny yet heartbreaking at the same time.

That saying, I found the flow of the story somewhat peaky. And as much as I adore Fay and Oliver, their wait-and-see <i>game</i> was rather disheartening. I wish there’s more to the circumstances with Oliver’s family than what’s shown here, to give more oomph to his new resolution and epiphany.

As a newbie to Ruby Lang’s writings, this fell under not-to-bad introduction. I quite enjoyed the tale even if having a bit of issue with the delivery. For sure I’ll be following this series and Lang’s other titles after this.


<i>Copy of this book is kindly given by the author/publisher via <b><a href=“https://www.netgalley.com/catalog/book/164255”> NetGalley</a></b> in exchange for an honest review.</i>

I love picking up novellas by new-to-me authors. They give me a little taste of the author’s writing style, and novella-length stories are tough to write. PLAYING HOUSE is the first story in a new Ruby Lang series, and while I enjoyed it, I think the pacing of the story was off as a whole.

The novella follows Fay, a recently divorced city planner, and Oliver, a long-time acquaintance and fellow city planner. I loved the quick sparks between Oliver and Fay. Their chemistry was sizzling but subtle, a delicate balance that Ms. Lang pulls off with aplomb. I, surprisingly, enjoyed all the house details packed into this short novella, which really served to highlight how much Oliver and Fay have in common. I also thought that Ms. Lang gave us a very realistic portrayal about two long-time friends (of sorts) might start a relationship. The growing pains and insecurities were endearingly relatable.

What I didn’t enjoy was how much of the page time Oliver and Fay spent apart. While they were not together, I was quickly losing interest and realizing this would be more of an HFN than an HEA. I think there were missed opportunities for Oliver and Fay to grow together as opposed to growing individually. I was expecting a whole other novel by the end of this novella or at least a substantial epilogue.

Overall, this was an okay start to a new series. I enjoyed Ms. Lang’s detailed writing style, and I can see myself continuing on with the series.

**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**

If you enjoy house tours, you’ve ever been curious about what urban planners do, or you like heroes who wear glasses, this is the novella for you! Fay and Oliver knew each other back in the day but when their paths cross on a house tour, Fay ropes Oliver into pretending he’s her boyfriend to fend off the advances from a creep. Soon, they’re visiting more apartments pretending to be a married couple, focusing more on the game and geeking out over their love for their jobs as urban planners than anything else.

And they have good reason to want to hide from reality a bit. Fay is adjusting after divorce and figuring out how to balance work and life. Oliver has been freelancing after his job went under and wondering if he’s like his loser dad after all. As someone who is self-employed but didn’t plan on it becoming my full-time job, I intensely related to Oliver’s arc (minus the dad issues) and found it refreshing to see a character with the same concerns as anyone who has freelanced.

For all Oliver and Fay have in common, there are major things they don’t discuss. Chief among them: Oliver applied for a job at Fay’s firm. He never asks for an update about the interview, assuming he won’t be asked and she doesn’t want to embarrass him. But she doesn’t ever ask him where he’s working, even though she knows his last company folded. I found this to be strange, while recognizing the way their paths crossed again left little room for the questions people normally ask when they run into someone they used to know. Of course, there’s an eventual reckoning and I really liked how this resolved.

This is otherwise a low conflict story and I breezed through it. Oliver and Fay have great chemistry and I’m full of hope for their relationship. But it was their work as urban planners that was the real star of this story for me. They view apartment tours with such a different lens and I loved hearing the way they think about neighborhoods and what can make a community great. Plus, Oliver has a great moment with his mom finally understanding what it is that he does that made me smile.

CW: divorce, parental abandonment, unemployment

playing house is such a delight, a fast-paced, lovely read. when fay liu runs into oliver huang on a real estate tour, she is happy to see his friendly face. she trusts him to go with the flow and pretend to be her boyfriend, in order to get rid of a jerk who doesn't know how to take not interested for a viable answer.

the pretense continues throughout the tour. and then these two urban planning uber nerds decide to keep doing it. looking at homes they have no intention of buying, just to spend time together. the bones of a house, the history of the community is their love language. literally they couldn't be more perfect for each other if they tried.

the only little snag is that oliver has his resume out to fay's firm. and it's a little piece of information he holds back. and when it inevitably comes into play, so much awkwardness ensues. but it's the good kind of awkwardness, because both oliver and fay have been in stasis. and they need to look at what they want from life, from the people in their life, from their jobs. because if they want each other, they need to put in some work on themselves in order to make that happen. but it's an effort that is well worth the reward.

**playing house will publish on august 12, 2019. i received an advance reader copy courtesy of netgalley/carina press in exchange for my honest review.

I didn't know this was a novella when I first picked up this read which might have tempered my expectations a bit. Playing House was a safe romance that hit all of the right points but missed out on creating an emotional connection. Fay and Oliver clearly had an attraction to each other from their past, but because of the number of pages the author had to work with, I never felt as though I'd fallen head over heels in love with their story. Lang hinted at character-shaping moments from both Fay and Oliver's pasts that I desperately wanted more of. One aspect I enjoyed was Lang's depiction of New York City and its diverse boroughs, but I wasn't overly impressed by the romance in Playing House.

Such a cute, fresh romantic story!
The characters were real and well written and the plotline super original.
Highly recommend!

This novella was okay. It felt more like a precursor to an actual romance plot where we see the emotions more or greater conflict. The writing was well done and there was great detail on the housing

Know up front that this is a novella and that things are going to move fast to get Fay and Oliver from friends to lovers by the end. They are both city planners with a penchant for visiting open houses. They're also both dealing with personal problems- Fay is coming to terms with her divorce and Oliver with the fact that he's out on his own since his firm collapsed. He's living at home again waiting to hear if he's gotten the job at ...Fay's firm. They start out pretending to be a couple so that Fay can avoid an obnoxious man but then they find themselves truly enjoying each other. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC. This totally merited a longer treatment but as a novella, it's a quick read to get your mind into happy mode.

There was nothing particularly wrong with this novella. But there was nothing that stood out to me either. The premise & characters seem fresh in theory, but when actually reading the story I couldn’t connect with them or anything that happens. Maybe that’s on me, but everything felt too simple. Playing House read a little like someone was reciting a story they had told 500 times already—it was probably a great story the first 5 times, but it had lost all emotion and feeling and now it just sounded like words. That sounds too harsh, because again, there was nothing glaringly wrong with the story! I would definitely check out a full length novel by this author, but I think this novella was not for me.

**Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing an ecopy in exchange for an honest review.”

It's a nice novella, sweet and honest.

I loved the theme of going house hunting or just delighting in the house showings where the places where described with knowing detail and warm wonder at the historical design.

Fay and Oliver are really cute characters. They are both emotionally adrift for their own individual reasons. She's still tender from the repercusions of her divorce and not moving on with her usual energy. He is feeling a failure as social and family expectations are not being met by his state in life.

I loved the funny, spontaneous pattern they acquire when they first bump into each other at a house showing. A game of pretend couple that is steeped with a heartwarming chemistry and lots of memories from common friends in their close-knitted circle of work.

This was very original to me and I loved all of it: the easy-going familiarity, the house showings, the talk of work, the hot moments, but also how their desires and misgivings got tangled up in their make-believe time together. I also enjoyed the part of Oliver's family and their influence in his life.

There is a hilarious bathroom scene and a little conflict when real life and dream life clash, but it's then that their growth happens and they really move on from past experiences. I really liked how it came to pass. It's lovely yet also believable.

What a great story! Loved the career choices of Oliver and Fay and their brief spate of playing house while they figure out they want the real thing. Setting of Brooklyn makes for a cast of diverse characters that truly shows the multi-cultural background of the area. Makes me want to put ' visit open houses for fun' on my to-do list. Low angst, lots of laughs, some sexy scenes all make for a delightful romance.

Review will be posted at sale sites during release week.

Playing House is the first book in a series about housing nerds that you'll kick yourself for missing out on. I'm thrilled that I got to read it early.

[su_quote style="modern-orange" cite="Goodreads" url=”GOODREADS LINK TO YOUR BOOK"]

Romance blossoms between two city planners posing as newlyweds in this first in a bright new series by acclaimed author Ruby Lang.

The last thing Oliver Huang expects to see on the historic Mount Morris home tour is longtime acquaintance Fay Liu bustling up and kissing him hello. He’s happy to playact being a couple to save her from a pushy admirer. Fay’s beautiful, successful and smart, and if he’s being honest, Oliver has always had a bit of a thing for her.

Maybe more than a bit.

Geeking out over architectural details is Oliver and Fay’s shared love language, and soon they’re touring pricey real estate across Upper Manhattan as the terribly faux but terribly charming couple Darling and Olly.

For the first time since being laid off from the job he loved, Oliver has something to look forward to. And for the first time since her divorce, Fay’s having fun.

Somewhere between the light-filled living rooms and spacious closets they’ve explored, this faux relationship just may have sparked some very real feelings. For Oliver and Fay, home truly is where their hearts are. (Goodreads) [/su_quote]

I received an eARC of Playing House from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was my first book by Ruby Lang and it was stunning. I absolutely loved Oliver and Fay  separately and together, and I would have gladly spent an entire second book with them.

Urban planning is a weird job, and one that I have a ton of respect for after covering county government as a reporter for several years. I thought that Lang did a great job of explaining the job and why both protagonists loved it so much without getting too far into the nitty gritty details.

I loved the little bits of architecture nerdery, which you could easily keep up with even if you don't know anything about houses other than living in them. If you like house renovation shows, you'll definitely have enough knowledge to know exactly what these two are talking about.

Playing House is in a weird space for me as it's right in that middle range between novella length and a full-length novel. It felt like it flew by in the best way. I would have enjoyed an epilogue, but I did really enjoy the novel the way it was. I can't wait for the rest of the series to come out.

You can pick up a copy for yourself through Amazon through our affiliate links.

[su_box title="ABOUT PLAYING HOUSE" style="default" box_color="#ff4400" title_color="#f2f2f2" radius="3" class=""]

Title: Playing House

Series: Uptown House #1

Author: Ruby Lang

Publisher: Carina Press

Length: 113 Pages

Release Date: August 12, 2019

Rating: Highly Recommended

Genre: Adult Contemporary Romance

Representation: asian american main character, asian-american love interest

Tropes: fake dating, coworkers romance (sort of)

[/su_box]




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This is a very sweet novella that really makes me want to read more by this author! I loved this book and really tore through it. When I got to the end, I was delighted to read a short preview of her next book. There's not a lot of drama here, so if that's what you're after you may be disappointed, but there is some conflict that the characters work through like adults.

I really enjoyed the setup and plot of Playing House and who knew that the very idea of City Planners was something that could make me sit up and pay very close attention? Apparently Ruby Lang knew! But while I didn’t know what to expect with a ‘city planners’ romance, what I actually got felt more to me as a ‘House Hunters’ romance…which ok, I’m not mad at. I love HH.



We follow MCs Fay and Oliver as they tour various houses, and since I don’t really know anything about city planners, I did get a bit confused as to the point of these tours – but I did love them. The real estate porn was intense and I really enjoyed that part. The tours do establish a reason for a fake relationship between the two, which as tropes go, is a classic I can get behind.



This is relatively low angst but there is some conflict as Oliver has applied for a position with Fay’s small company. I need low angst books in my life but I could have used a bit more development of the relationship as well as the conflict resolution as it was just tied up neatly (which obviously I needed!) but I wanted a little more out of the ending. Particularly because the book is pretty short and I felt like it could have been a little longer.



I’m looking forward to other books in this series and to how Lang develops this neighborhood and this world. I’ve seen the tropes for the next book as enemies to lovers, which I love, and seduction by dumpling and I already have it pre-ordered because I can’t resist that!

2'5 stars.
It's a sweet story but so short that I couldn't really enjoy it. The MC are likeable but I could'n feel their attraction, it was all very rushed for my taste. They're cute but I think the open houses' moments stole time of the love story, which was a little simple and awkward to me. I think they both have a great background and it could've been a beautiful love story, with funny and touching moments. Sadly you only can see glimpses, the scenes are too short for more development. It's seemed like a resume of a longer book. But it's short and light, perfect if you're looking for a feel-good reading for the Summer.
I think Ruby Lang has a sweet and fresh voice and I will follow her carreer, I bet she'll write great books.

This was a short and sweet read. The book follows two urban planners, recently unemployed Oliver and recently divorced Fay, as they try to figure out life and ultimately find love in NYC. I would recommend for fans of novellas and low angst romance.

I received an ARC from Netgalley and I am happy to give my honest review.

This is a new author to me and I requested the book because the blurb sounded cute. And the book was cute. It was a very quick read with two likeable characters who pretend to be in a relationship while they look at houses.

Novellas are kind of frustrating for me. They are manageable reads but can’t get into the plot or the character development too much. I felt like the drama in this book was a little contrived and not super resolved.

Overall a very cute book and I’m looking forward to reading more from this author.

I am definitely the target audience for this thoughtful, grounded novella about two urban planners seducing one another by describing historic architecture, apartment design, and city development. It’s a lot of nerdery for a short book, but it goes a long way toward showing us our main couple’s shared passion and suitability. If you’re the kind of person who cruises apartment listings for fun even when you have no plans to move, this will be your kind of catnip.

Oliver Huang and Fay Liu are both career-focused, but in distinctly different ways. They tumble into the romcom situation of posing as a couple to tour high-end homes just for the fun of it, but the real conflict is about where they’re headed in life and what kind of partner they need for the journey. Fay is fresh off a divorce from a man who couldn’t keep up with her ambition and resented her for it; Oliver has been out of a job for a few months and is worried that the freelance life makes him too much like his feckless, absent father. They’ve known each other for a while but not well, and it’s pure pleasure watching them fall headlong as they deal with family stress, future plans, and a possible working relationship. The sex scenes feel juicy and lush but in a very modern way, like the kind of fashionable hand-knotted floral-patterned rug they sell for too much money at Anthropologie: somehow both cutting-edge and comforting at once. The main couple is just plain likeable, even when they’re bogged down in their issues, and the book builds to one of the best last lines I’ve seen in romance in a while. Count me in for this and for book two, the teaser for which gives us a hilarious peek into how our couple’s ruse really appeared to one of the realtors they were fooling.