Playing Games With My Heart: Romantic Books About Games

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PN was born into a family of readers and developed a love of reading as a sort of herd mentality. This love of reading has remained a lifelong passion, resulting in a degree in English from the University of Houston in Houston, Texas. She typically reads three to four books at a time, in the futile Sisyphean hope of finishing her ever-growing pile of books without a specific genre.

View all posts by PN Hinton

We’re almost done with August, and this almost the last quarter of 2024. To say it’s exciting would be an understatement, but I also know that many of you are reading this as a break from the real world. That’s also one of the reasons we’re reading so many books, which I support 100%.

Speaking of books, I’m currently reading Half a Soul, Daughters of Olympus, Rise and Divine and Middle of the Night. Quite a lot, if I may say so myself.

Today’s new releases include a modern interpretation of Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night and a possible sexy golem come to life. And I have some recommendations for you to celebrate According to Hoyle Day. Enjoy!

Bookish goods

It all counts as a reading shirt from BiblioFox

This needs to be shouted from the rooftops, because all yes! Whether it’s physical, e-book, audio, or something else, reading is reading, and you should be proud of yourself for doing it, no matter what platform it’s on. Right now this is on sale for $25, regular price is $31.

New romance books out this week

Marriage & Masti by Nisha Sharma

Friends Veera and Deepak are struggling with their love lives and careers. When a shipwreck followed by too much booze ends in a beach wedding, they decide to use this misfortune to get revenge on the people and the company that hurt them so much. But while they are busy trying to convince everyone that their romance is legitimate, feelings start to form and soon they wonder if they should take the risk of getting into a real relationship.

Magical Encounter Cute by Jean Meltzer

After a drastic change in her love life and career, Faye has settled into a new life as a potter in Woodstock, New York. But when she attends yet another failed singles event at her synagogue and her town is plastered with anti-Semitic propaganda, she drunkenly creates a guardian golem and imbues it with the qualities of her ideal man. The next day, handsome newcomer Greg shows up, and Faye can’t help but notice that he shares many of the characteristics of the golem she created. She begins to wonder if magic brought her drunken creation to life.

For a more comprehensive overview of new releases, see our New Books newsletter.

Romantic books about board games and card games

As mentioned, today is According to Hoyle Day, and if you’re like me, your first question was, “Who the hell is Doyle?” You’re right. The day is named after Edmund Hoyle, an 18th century lawyer best known for his published books on board and card games. Those trivia tidbits inspired me to pick books that featured board and card games. Because that seems like a perfect way to celebrate this unofficial holiday.

Monopolove by Mia Heintzelman

The first time Declan and Harper meet, he buys her coffee, which puts her on edge. Harper has lived as independently as possible her entire life, even refusing to cash her long-absent father’s checks to save the arcade game store she runs with her sister and best friend. Instead, she enters the town’s Monopoly tournament for a shot at the jackpot. But when Declan signs up, there’s little she can do to avoid him, since he’s at every practice. Soon, their not-so-friendly rivalry escalates into something more.

All In by Nell Stark

Nova is a math whiz and winner of numerous online poker championships. But when a majority of her assets are frozen following a change in the law that makes gambling accounts illegal, she heads to Vegas to try to win a World Series of Poker champions bracelet and keep her sponsors. There she meets Vesper, a cynical but ambitious casino host who has seen too many hopefuls walk away broke and broken. Will Nova convince Vesper that coaching and true love are worth the risk?

Pick some vacation spots and pick your favorite trope. It was just right for me!

If you’re looking for mafia romances, this list is for you. As always, check for various content and trigger warnings.

My best friend sent me this Reel the other day and it made me laugh because this really describes our book club. Spoiler: I’m the last one.

And that’s all she wrote for today. If you’re ever interested in what I do between shipments, you can always follow me on Instagram at @pns_bookish_world. Until next time, happy reading and stay hydrated!

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