What a cute book! This was my first book by this author and I’m so happy I took the chance. I really loved how this one kept me interested and the ending made me happy. Loved it!

I really enjoyed this! Even though I'm not a gamer, I appreciated the way that making video games was such a creative and healing process for the main characters. I loved this aspect of the book, and Novel Haven seems like such a cute game! I struggled a bit with how low Lara's self confidence was to begin with, it was painful to read and felt a bit too extreme? But overall, a cozy read with emotional depth in a unique setting, would recommend.

Thank you so very much to Netgalley and LYX for the eARC!

I was excited to read Levels of Love because a romance centered around video games sounded like my vibe. And I was very, very correct! This was a cute, sweet read with adorable leads, fun side characters and just enough drama to keep it interesting.

The story revolves around Lara, a young game developer who is helping create Novel Haven, a cozy farming sim about books. Luca is also a young game developer but his focus is on horror. When both get the chance to represent their games at a conference, they end up developing a friendship even though they are rivals. As this is a romance, I’m sure you can figure out where that goes. Of course, we have some drama and a bit of angst. Lara and Luca both have rather traumatic episodes in their past that they are working through with the help of their games. But that just made them more interesting characters and wasn’t used as a device to keep them apart. Rather, it is how they bond.

Overall, I adored Levels of Love. As a gamer, I enjoyed the way the author incorporated that into the story without it feeling forced. I can also relate to how Lara finds comfort in the world she is creating. I know when I get overwhelmed with real life, I also find solace in cozy farming sims. I also appreciate the author addressing how sexist the world of gaming can be without it over-shadowing the love story.

4.5/5 rounded up to 5 stars. If you are looking for a cute romance with a lot of heart, I highly recommend Levels of Love. I will definitely be reading the other books in this series because I adored Nataly and Arias. They were such great side characters and I want to see where their stories take them.

a quick and cute read. Perfect for a single sitting read on a sunny back porch afternoon. I loved the characters and the tropes were very well done.

🩷 Book Review 🩷
📚 Levels of Love
✒️ Anabelle Stehl
💫💫💫💫💫

Thank you Netgalley for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Levels of Love follows the super shy Lara, a gaming programmer who has invested so much into a game about books and Luca, who is the developer behind the nightmare fuelled Desolate Dread. They are from two different worlds and are fighting for the same prize that will determine their careers.

This book is super fun and easy to read book. I am not a gamer, but I understood the concepts the author integrated throughout.

Lara and Luca, are two people who have found comfort in the worlds they created to hide from the past that has caused them to close in on themselves. Their romance blooms slowly and organically throughout the book, it is a slow burn and is wholesome in its display.

I would recommend this book for those who are fans of Ali Hazelwood.

Level of Love was a fun, heartfelt book and I loved the video game setting. It is different than my typical books but it was a nice change. I loved Lara and Luca's relationship and how they supported each other and seeing the development and growth of their relationship. I wish there was some more character development but overall it was a fun read and I look forward or more books by Annabelle Stehl!

This books is adorable. Totally a 3.5 star rating!! But I’ll round it up to 4 hahaha.

I absolutely loved the way the chapters are laid out. The lines at the beginning of the chapter about the game (relative to whose pov it is), set the tone of the chapter yet somehow don’t give anything away at all. It’s like a cheeky little teaser before you read the chapter and it’s so cute and fun. The Dual POV is so good, one of my favourite ways to read a romance novel.

I am not much of a gamer but I found that it was easy to understand the gaming industry, also I would love if the games were real Novel Haven seems so cute and so fun. I think the writing was well done to help both those who are in the gaming world and not understand the ins and outs of it all. Also all the anime and pop culture references were so cute and fun. They made the book feel relatable and somehow so current even though the backdrop felt more like an old English castle vibe.

I loved the topics of mental health, grief, ptsd, and how using a creative outlet helps to cope with it. That really stuck with me and I think it’s nice to see a story show that things will get better after the worst moment of your life. Also as a person who uses a creative outlet to cope with all things about life I loved who both the protagonists used their games as an outlet for their lives. It made me feel scene and I hope others will too when they read this book.

This book had very little spice, 1 scene and I think it’s perfectly timed and beautifully written. This is not a smutty book but a cute romance with an intimacy scene.

I think this is perfect for people who want to start their romance genre journey and also for those who love a soft love with a HEA for everyone. If you love shoujo or shounen manga and anime then this book is right up your alley!!

First off, the cover for this book is gorgeous!! This book hit all the marks for me- enemies to lovers, forced proximity, AND gaming?! Literally love that! I did really like the book overall. There were some points that felt a little harder to get into/slow at times, but I did enjoy the storyline and the characters were lovable.

Thank you NetGalley and Annabelle Stehl for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of Levels of Love! I loved the duel narration between the two MCs and how it balanced out between their relationship, friendships, dreams and personal strifes. It gave a great representation of metal health issues and how it affects day to day life and relationships without being overwhelming or too descriptive that the reader gets lost in the MC’s mindset and forgets the present scene/situation. It is definitely more of a slow burn but still keeps you wanting more between the pair by balancing out their own lives and other relationships. Side characters play vital roles in the story without losing site of the main story line.
This light-hearted, but also very metal health aware story follows Lara and Luca, competing programmers from two very different gaming companies who find themselves entangled in a gaming competition that will put their games on the map and award money in hand to further their games’ future.
Both characters are very 3 dimensional; with complex background stories that focus on mental health and how that comes into play in day to day life. As they progress in the competition and in their interest in one another grows, so does the complexities that surround them. Will the heat of the competition bring them together or pull them apart for their ultimate gamer dream of a lifetime?

If you’re a fan of Ali Hazelwood’s ‘Two Can Play’ then you will absolutely adore Novel Haven: Levels of Love by Anabelle Stehl. The two main characters, Lara and Luca, are video game creators for two separate companies. Lara creates cozy games and Luca creates horror games. Two completely different game styles. When the duo are brought together through a video game competition, the two will present their games and vie for a chance at winning the competition. What they don’t expect is finding each other, and possibly winning each other’s hearts along the way…

I relate to Lara so much. You know when you find a character in a book where you just wanna hug them! That’s me and Lara! This was so cutie but also just touches you! (I love the gaming vibe and the whole flow of the story!!)

Really liked this book but I am a little biased. I LOVE a good enemies to lovers and mix that with a the characters being into gaming and I jump right in. Forced proximity, Trauma bonded and a little banter and you have me hooked!

Thank you to NetGalley and Anabelle Stehl for the ARC!

his was such a unique and engaging take on a rivals-to-lovers romance. The gaming world setting added a fresh layer that made the story stand out, especially with the contrast between Lara’s cozy, heartfelt game and Luca’s darker, horror-driven style.

I really enjoyed the dynamic between the two main characters. Their differences created strong tension at the start, but as the story progressed, the shift from competition to connection felt natural and well developed. The banter, paired with moments of vulnerability, added depth to their relationship.

The convention setting and high-stakes competition kept the plot moving, while also allowing space for quieter, more personal moments between the characters. It struck a nice balance between external conflict and emotional growth.

A thoughtful and enjoyable read that will especially appeal to fans of character-driven romance with a creative, modern backdrop.

This book was adorable in every way, shape, and form. I could perfectly picture Novel Haven, and now I need this game in my life.

I really enjoyed how both MCs had their own traumas and struggles. How some scars are visible while others aren’t. Also how they used them to create a game that would heal their inner child.

Luca and Lara were a match made in heaven. Both come from the gaming world who make it their mission to win at the prestigious GameChanger convention that will give them the funds they need to develop their game. But things start to get tricky when they start catching feelings for each other as the convention days pass by. How they are both heartless and wish the other the best.

I enjoyed the drama that developed throughout the convention. It added the perfect twist of curiosity that had me hooked. I wasn’t really sure what side I wanted to be on. I loved Lara and Luca in their own way, and watching them have to be rivals because of their bosses was heartbreaking. Although the ending was extremely satisfying, and I loved how everything ended.

Thank you to NetGalley, LYX, and Anabelle Stehl for the opportunity to read and review an Advance Reader Copy of this book!

If you enjoy pop culture–heavy, trauma-centered, nerdy books, this one is definitely for you.

In the best way possible, this book felt very Wattpad-coded. For me, that means it’s a really fun, engaging experience in the moment, something that’s a great time, even if it may not be a long-term favorite.

I liked all of the characters overall. Our female main character was especially compelling to follow, particularly with how her past continues to linger and shape her present. I also really loved her support system, it felt genuine and added a lot of heart to the story. And I have to mention the chapter headings, they were such a fun and creative touch.

Our male main character was… interesting. He works for the female main character, and I can understand why their dynamic fits together, but personally, he didn’t fully work for me. There were moments where his actions or personality traits felt a bit off-putting, even if they made sense within the context of the story.

One thing I really appreciated was the use of multimedia elements throughout the book, it added another layer to the storytelling and made the reading experience feel more immersive.

My main hesitation, and the reason this is a 4-star read for me, is the amount of pop culture references. While they were fun and added personality, I do wonder how well the book will age. It feels very rooted in a specific moment in time, which might make it less timeless or harder to revisit years down the line.

That said, I’m really glad I finally got to read this, especially after having it sitting on my shelf since traveling overseas. It definitely didn’t disappoint.

Thank you again to NetGalley, LYX, and Anabelle Stehl for the opportunity to read and review an Advance Reader Copy of this book!

Both Lara and Luca are headed to GamerChangers to present their games, both needing to win the prize money for game funding. Lara put her heart and soul into Novel Haven, which is a cozy, pixel-art game that focuses on books, community and healing. Where Luca’s behind the game Desolate Dead that is a psychological horror based game that is inspired by his own nightmares. The two form a connection at GameChangers despite their studios being rivals.

I absolutely adored this book! I am a bit of a gamer myself so when I read the blurb I knew I needed to read this book. Also not to mention the gorgeous cover and rivals to lovers, forced proximity, sign me up! I think being a gamer myself is what made it all the more fun to me because I would play both Lara and Luca’s games myself. I could picture both games in my head so clearly when they were being described and now i’m sad they aren’t real.

Both Lara and Luca are some of the cutest main characters i’ve read about. Along with both being extremely likable and relatable characters. They’re both so pure, and sweet, I felt myself really get close to them throughout the book. Introverted, cozy gamer Lara, I love you so much. I loved how Lara talked about being a woman in a predominantly male field, like I was absolutely rooting for her to win. Charismatic, horror gamer Luca, SUCH A GREEN FLAG! He was the sweetest to Lara always checking in on her, and being down so so bad. Lara and Luca were disgustingly cute together, one of the cutest relationships. The witty banter, the cute text messages, they were just so sweet and caring to one another and exactly what the other needed.

I also loved the female friendship we saw too, nothing I love more than good friendships and strong female characters in books. The trio of Lara, Nat and Aria, and how much unconditional love and support they have for one another.

The representation was so beautifully written, touching on PTSD, trauma, anxiety, sexism, and other subjects, it is refreshing to read a book that touches on certain topics so well. I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for providing me an ARC in exchange for an honest review! ✨🎮

As soon as I saw Levels of Love on NetGalley, I knew I had to read it. The cover is absolutely gorgeous, and when I saw that it was a rivals to lovers romance set in the gaming world, I was immediately sold.

I ended up loving this book. It was sweet, fun, and full of tension, but it also had a lot more emotional depth than I expected. Both of the main characters had difficult backstories, and I really enjoyed getting to know them and seeing how those experiences shaped who they were. Luca is genuinely the sweetest most understanding boy ever!!

I also appreciated how the book touched on the challenges women face in gaming spaces. It felt realistic and added another layer to the story that I absolutely adored.

The side characters were great too and now I'm really excited to read their books. Between the romance, the drama, and the gaming elements, this was such an enjoyable read for me.

And the fact that there is an actual novel haven game on Steam?? literally the most adorable concept ever!!!

If you love rivals to lovers, forced proximity and gaming romance, I definitely recommend picking this one up.

This is my first-ever book from LYX, and OH MY GOD, WAS IT SO GOOD! This book has been one of my most anticipated reads of the year, and it did not disappoint. The writing is quite fast-paced and straight to the point, which I enjoyed. Both the FMC and MMC, as well as the secondary characters, were developed perfectly; nothing was short of its potential. As a gamer, I learned a lot about how game development works from Indie Devs' progress and how they run, which was such an exciting read. While Novel Haven was being described in the book, I could immediately picture the video game in my head. It was well written in terms of description, to the point where I caught all the references in the book while playing the game on Steam. The Dual-POV and pacing of each chapter were oh-so perfect!!! Lara and Luca together are simply such a wonderful couple to experience the story with, and I love how DOWN BAD Luca was from the beginning! They are both such lovable characters, and their friends as well <3 Gamers and readers will absolutely LOVE this!

Excuse me! This book had no right to be so dang cute! This book was so cozy it felt like a nice warm hug.

This book follows Lara a cozy game developer and Luca a horror game developer.

Both Lara and Luca have PTSD and are working through it via their games. They both get accepted into GameChanger, a convention for devolping games. The winner gets a cash prize and everyone gets social media presence.

They are both in the running until some news come to light. Lara and Luca do everything they can to help their own team and each others succeed.

Lara and Luca try to stay away from each other (since they are competition) but they are both moths drawn to each others flames.

I loved this book so much that I can't wait for book 2!

Thank you NetGalley and LYX books for this ARC!

It was a cute game developer romance and I love the beginning where it was enemies to lovers than to lovers .

Huge thanks to NetGalley & the publishers for a chance to review this arc!
4.25✨
This one was absolutely sweet. Two soft mc’s who found each other in their softness… neither of them were problematic and I was just rooting for both from the start.

Lara & Luca are both going to present the game they’ve been working hard on at the gaming convention, both hoping (and needing) to win the money prize for their studios.
They meet there, not really knowing they’re both each other’s biggest competitor & the backstory of both of their respective firms.

Honestly, everything was to like about this romance. They both had different PTSD’s they were working on - while having healthy family that didn’t really know how to accompany them appropriately (they were pretty clumsy) - so it was different from any other story I’ve read. The romance evolved in a very relatable & realistic way so I really enjoyed it.

I’ve been a gamer for as long as I can remember. I rarely go a day without gaming so obviously that book spoke to me a lot. There’s unfortunately a lot of misogyny in the gaming community surrounding women & cozy games - which was a theme that was spoken about so I really appreciated it. A lot of things were also spoken about surrounding healing & how others can impact our journey.

I really wanted to play that game! So the author succeeded in that aspect as well. There’s no third act breakup so I kind of wanted to hug the author! Hurray for that.

Overall I highly recommend this - especially if you’re into video games & cute romances.
I’ll come back on release date with my quotes!

Levels of Love was so cute and just a classic rivals-to-lovers scenario except Lara and Luca are both really chill people that just can't stay away from each other. The rivals and lovers part are simultaneous nearly the whole book. Both have their trauma and are using the video games they are making as therapy and an escape. As a cozy game lover (Cooking Diary 4eva), I want to play Lara's game Novel Haven so bad! Not sure if I would want to play Luca's game. It sounds scary and a bit like Last of Us.

The plot had really good flow and I think that most readers can guess where it's going after the first few chapters. And the commentary on the state of the gaming industry (and let's be honest, IT as a whole) was spot on. As someone that lives in nerd spaces, it can be very toxic still. But it looks like this is just book one in the Novel Haven universe so I am def looking forward to the next book.

A rivals-to-lovers romance packed with forced proximity, high-stakes competition, and all the cozy gaming vibes, set against the exciting backdrop of the competitive gaming world. Complete with a sticker sheet to design your own charming bookstore beneath the front cover and stunning stenciled edges, this edition is as beautiful as the story inside.

They’re determined to win—just not prepared to lose their hearts.

Lara and Luca couldn’t be more different.

Lara is quiet, reserved, and happiest curled up with a cozy game. Luca is confident, outgoing, and thrives on horror games and adrenaline-filled challenges.

Despite their differences, they’re both chasing the same dream at the GameChanger Convention: recognition, visibility, and the prize money that could change everything. As rivalry pushes them together and competition heats up, they begin to discover that beneath the screens and online personas, they’re both searching for the same thing—someone who truly understands them.

This was such a sweet book. I LOVED the main characters so much🥹 I especially loved all the video game references. This book gave all the cozy vibes 🥰🎮👾

A very special thank you to Anabelle Stehl, LYX, and NetGalley for the chance to ARC review!

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5

Forced proximity? Enemies to lovers??? SIGN ME UP! This was such a fun introduction to the gaming world, and I absolutely loved how immersive it was! The book follows Lara and Luca, who are navigating the ultra competitive realm of indie gaming. I thought the story was very well-paced, and the dynamic between the main characters was to die for! This was the perfect cozy summer read, and I would love to see more books set in this universe in the future!

This is a charming cosy romance, that was an easy and enjoyable read. I loved the competitive video game elements and I loved how sensitively both characters traumas were handled. I was surprised after finishing to discover this is translated from German, which might explain some of the clunky dialog - but nothing was too distracting. Luca and Lara’s romance was believable and sweet - a perfect combo.

Thank you NetGalley and LYX for this eARC, I had so much fun reading it 🥹

Novel Haven is a competitors to lovers romance book set in the video game industry! Lara and Luca meet while competiting at GameChangers, a widely known video game convention where the winning game receives funding. Their games are complete opposites and so are they and both of them need the prize money to finish their game.

I’m such a fan of a rivals to lovers romance with some forced proximity! Both characters have an instant click and I love that they build their connection.

This is a fun read that reminds me of Ali Hazelwood’s Two Can Play. Highly recommend reading this!

4 stars! Cozy gaming, rivals/competitors to lovers, forced proximity..

OK so the first chapter ish was really not doing it for me tbh and I was a little sad bc this book sounded so good, so cute! BUT it really reallyyyyy grew on me QUICK!

In the beginning I had this sense of “sheesh this book might not have been for me like I thought” like just in the world of the coding and developers work environment. But wow wow wow did it get so much better!!

Lara has a rough past to overcome, Luca is a cutie pie, overall a good read and I would definitely want to complete the series!

I was so interested in this premise and I feel like it really delivered well! The pacing and plot kept me really interested! There were a few editing errors but it said it was the uncorrected proof version so that makes sense!

I think Lara was such a likable main character and her relationship with Luca had an incredible build. This rivals-to-lovers delivered everything and more. The tension was great, the world-building introducing their pasts and surroundings was perfect, and the vibe was so fun!

The book was such a cozy and easy read. I sense a new comfort author in my future!

I first was very interested in Levels of Love because of the gaming aspect. I am a huge enjoyer of many different games during my free time when I am not reading and a romance between game developers was right up my alley!

I LOVE this book!!! The characters and their stories were so interesting and covered extremely delicate topics that you rarely see in books like this. It was extremely refreshing to get a very accurate look into how hard it is to move on from something traumatic happening in your life and how it can be the little things that stick with you. Lara even getting triggered by the smell of a bbq is such an informative and eye opening detail into PTSD. As mentioned before it can really be something that we all think is small that can cause a trigger for someone. Luca and Lara together push each other to heal and take all the steps to accepting their past and moving forward.
The story itself is such a page turner that left me guessing what was going to happen next and I appreciated how women in gaming getting harassed, exploited, and overlooked is a constant theme. The struggles of Laura and Sophia shine a light onto a dark subject that is rarely discussed. I could not put this book down and I will definitely be recommending this book.
I am also so excited to try out the game Novel Haven on steam!!!
Thank you so much for an advance e-arc!

Thank you NetGalley for letting me review a early copy of this book.

This is first gamers romance I have read I believe and I love everything about it. It was a very good slow burn romance like these characters had a connection from the very beginning of the story and it just took off from there.

3.5/5⭐️

Thank you to NetGalley, Anabelle Stehl, and LYX for the eARC.

This was such a cute read with a unique premise centered around rival game developers, which is something I don’t come across often. I really enjoyed the gaming convention setting and getting a glimpse into all the work that goes into it. That said, I would’ve loved to see more interactions between the main characters outside of the convention instead of mainly through texting.

Overall, this was a fun and charming read that even made me want to try out both the cozy and horror games mentioned throughout the story.

This was such a good read! The romance and characters were just everything. I also love that it's gamer centric and a new fresh take on a romance.

As a longtime fan of Stardew Valley who also loves a good horror movie from time to time, Levels of Love by Anabelle Stehl spoke to me on so many levels! Levels of Love follows Lara, a cozy game programmer, and Luca, a horror video game developer who find themselves at odds with each other while being stuck at the same game convention (we love some forced proximity). With tensions between both of these developers and their companies coming to a head - the chemistry between them starts to overflow (and no amount of coding is able to solve problems of the heart).

The chemistry between Lara and Luca is as cozy as a pixel art life sim! This is an enemies to lovers story that does the trope really well - and I believe that these characters could get to a place of love after their initial disagreements. Both characters have their share of past trauma they are working through - but it is woven into the characters well, making them feel like real people who are processing. I also love the side characters in the story, and am keeping my fingers crossed for future books in this universe! Another thing that I think really draws readers/gamers into this world is that an actual version of Novel Haven exists on Steam! That sort of cross marketing is amazing to see, and it really shows the level of love the author and this book's team has for the story and its world! (also it's free on Steam!).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC - all opinions shared are my own.