3.75 rounded up to 4⭐️

A freshman at a film school starts a dating documentary but to get the approval she needs to motivate other students to audition. And how does she do that?? By convincing the annoying senior who is social media famous to be involved. Of course then the project evolves into a reality dating drama, what could go wrong?

I found the premise of this super cute!
The execution was fine and kept me engaged however I felt like the pacing was inconsistent at times, sometimes feeling rushed.

But all in all a quick enjoyable read.

This was such a sweet story, well written but definitely very surface level. Noah and Mia were cute but what we learned about them as people came so late, so while i appreaciated their mutual attraction to each other as a plot point i couldn't see what they had in common outside of school and both being type A. Again overall a sweet story, but I wished for more chemistry/ story bwtween our two main characters as i read.

I loved the concept of this book! The story was fun and sweet.

There was a lot of representation in the book, although some of it felt a little superficial. But, I don’t think this detracts from the overall storytelling of the book. The story itself was very lighthearted and the banter between the two main characters wasn’t too much.

It was a simple and enjoyable YA story that I could recommend to anyone looking for a cozy read!

The plot and the cover and the title were so intriguing. It is a pity that the book has fallen short of my expectations. The enemies to lovers aspect felt so forced and unnecessary and shoes in for the Pride & Prejudice clout.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
I'm not usually the biggest YA reader, but every now and then, a few manage to completely snag my attention—and The Cuffing Game by Lyla Lee did just that! The cover alone? Absolutely adorable. It had me instantly intrigued.

This was such a cute and modern take on Pride and Prejudice, with a he-falls-first twist that totally worked for me. I really enjoyed the dynamic between Mia and Noah, especially with the forced proximity setting. Watching them navigate their shared love for film while constantly clashing over creative opinions gave the story great chemistry and tension. As film students, their passion for storytelling added a layer of depth I wasn’t expecting, and I loved how much that mutual interest shaped their interactions.

I was this close to giving it four-and-a-half stars, but one of the supporting characters, Celine, rubbed me the wrong way. She came off a little too judgmental for my taste and took away from some of the feel-good vibes I was riding high on.

All in all, though, The Cuffing Game is a charming, witty read that blends classic inspiration with modern rom-com flair—and it’s perfect for anyone looking for a sweet, slow-burn YA romance with heart and humor.

Thank you so much to Net Galley and Lyla Lee for sending me an ARC💖.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review honestly and voluntarily.

I adore Lee’s work so much. She really writes characters that make me feel seen and I’ve just had a delightful time with this.

Thank you to the author and publisher for the opportunity to read this book. This was an adorable YA book. I love reading about Mia and Noah. I really loved the dating show plot it made the story interesting. This book had me laughing and smiling. It is an amazing read! Fun and easy read that I think anyone would enjoy!

One thing I learned recently is that I do occasionally enjoy reality dating shows! I never thought I would be the type, but I devoured Love Island USA S6 and that was that. I do also want to check out Single's Inferno one day! Anyway, when I saw that Lyla Lee's new book was described as Pride and Prejudice x Love Island, I immediately added it to my tbr. The premise is so fun: a dating show created by college students, for college students!

I think this would be a cute quick romcom to enjoy in the winter with a hot drink and a blanket! I had a good time following our main characters Mia and Noah as they navigated the show and their complicated feelings. I definitely related to Mia and her preference for planning, though as shown in the book, a little derailment from that can also be important. Noah was also so cute! I was a little worried at first because he's introduced as a frat bro, but what little we know of his frat seems to be positive, and he likely joined for the friendships since he moved from South Korea to the US for college. The pacing of the romance wasn't too bad, especially since the majority of the story takes place in basically a week, something that's pointed out by the characters. And to be fair, relationships in irl dating shows often move fast due to close proximity and such. The main things I didn't like were the miscommunication scene because it felt forced and took me out of the story, and the side characters as they felt pretty flat. But otherwise, it was a cute read and there were definitely some funny moments! My favourite part is definitely what happens on the last day of the show 👀 Literally peak dating show finale vibes. I'm not too picky with romcoms because I read them for vibes and as palate cleansers, so I can still say I enjoyed my reading experience!

Fake dating? Check. Celebrity chaos? Double check. Unexpected feelings that sneak up on you like a love confession in the rain? Triple. Check. ✔️✔️✔️

Lyla Lee brings us a delightfully charming, laugh-out-loud love story bursting with all the delicious drama of your favorite K-dramas and all the heart of a cozy friends-to-lovers tale. When aspiring screenwriter Maddie finds herself fake dating Hallyu heartthrob Jihoon, sparks fly, misunderstandings pile up like laundry day, and feelings get real, fast.

Between the behind-the-scenes Hollywood glamour and the relatable struggle of chasing dreams while protecting your heart, this one’s a warm hug in book form—equal parts sparkle and sincerity. And did we mention Jihoon? Because JIHOON. Swoon central, population: us. 💫

Thank you so much to Lyla Lee and HarperCollins Children's Books | HarperCollins for the eARC oof this book. This a a perfect cute true YA book. I love reading about Mia and Noah. I really liked the dating show plot as well. It is a great fun, quick, light hearted read for any age.

Noah and Mia’s story felt super rushed, especially the last few chapters. The writing style made it a quick read but overall the premise seemed a bit unrealistic.

I thought this was a cute and overall enjoyable read.
The premise definitely captures your attention but I found myself wanting a bit more throughout the book with details and character development.
The premise with the reality show was definitely unique in my opinion and really caught my attention to wanting to know what this book was/ is about!
Many of the conflicts were easily solved and it made the impact of them not as impactful. However overall it’s still a enjoyable read and I would recommend it!

This was a really cute book. Mia and Noah definitely did not have a great start and their misconceptions of the other set off a chain of events that lead them to where they needed to be.

I love the premise of the book because it was very engaging and fun. I love that it’s a reality show within the pages of a book. Each character added so much to the story and really gave it such a feel good read.

I love that Noah could be himself around Mia which is hilarious since they absolutely dislike one another. Their banter and need to push the other really had both Mia and Noah growing in ways they didn’t imagine!

A perfect read for the start of spring and warmer weather!

I really like the dating show plot. The characters could be so frustrating. It's one of those stories where you just want to yell at the characters to have it out. Overall it's a good premise, funny, and enjoyable. I would recommend!

Overall I found this book quite enjoyable, though a tiny bit frustrating.

Why frustrating? Mostly because of how obstinate the FMC was - BUT I think the author does a great job of giving enough context (family life) to understand why Mia is the way she is. The same goes for the MMC, Noah. I found their growth as characters satisfying and realistic enough.

That said, the characters were pretty fun and I liked the variety of personalities. Ms Lee does a great job at explaining how the show works, and the formatting of the chapters helps.

The premise of the book is accurate, though I think this book would be most enjoyed by niche group of readers (affiliated, Asian, college, and/or film industry people).

This book was so cute! The romance was so tension filled and wonderful! And the banter was so fun. Highly recommend.

I thought this book was cute. It didn’t really have any spice in it, which I surprisingly didn’t mind. I think Matias was my favorite character, but Violet and Carlos were my favorite couple. I like that each couple started out with someone but then eventually ended up with who they were supposed to be with. Also I’m happy that Celine and Kyle ended up with each other but both of their characters were kind of awful.

I thought this was a cute premise. It could use a little bit more detail, I thought it seemed a bit rushed. It felt like I was reading a really great first draft of a book rather than a book that was ready to go to print. Overall I'd say it was a cute and light hearted read.

3.75 rounded to 4. It was a cute YA rom-com. Loved the idea behind the book and for a dating show on with college kids. I think the show itself was chaotic but in the best way. showing how messy things can get but also that everyone is human and has real feelings despite what is always shown via shows.

*Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Collin’s for this ARC

Thank you to Harpercollins and Lyla Lee for the ARC of the Cuffing Game for an honest review.

I love a good dating show, so I was so excited for this one! I think the story had so much potential but unfortunately the characters just felt very flat. I didn’t feel anything towards the characters as I was reading. I was flying by the book because it was very told, instead of showing story.

It might have been just not for me, I think the plot has so much potential and it could be that others would love it more than I did.