Review: I will devour Ali Hazelwood’s books in any form! 

 

“Two Can Play” follows Viola Bowen and Jesse Andrews, two video game designers from rival companies. When the chance of a lifetime to design a video game based on their all-time favorite book series arises, the two are sent on a wintery retreat in a remote mountain lodge to team-build. As the snow piles on, Viola discovers there’s more to her arch-nemesis than she knew, and heat builds in more ways than one. 

 

I feel like I need to start by saying that audiobooks are not usually my thing. I have a pretty difficult time preventing my mind from wandering without a page in front of me keeping me focused, which is why it is such a big deal to me that I loved this one as much as I did. Kelsey Navarro Foster’s narration and Hazelwood’s storytelling is a magical combination. Foster’s voice gripped me from the start, her different voices for each character keeping me engaged all the way through. 

 

When it comes to the story itself, it is short, steamy, and has a great plot! In typical Hazelwood fashion, the MMC is big and the FMC is little, and there is a misunderstanding that prevents them from getting together sooner. I did not mind it in the slightest and I think it was better this way because Hazelwood’s brand of writing kept me from getting lost when my attention drifted in that I knew what to anticipate. I could not get enough of the tension and mutual pining born from their miscommunication. Despite its brevity, “Two Can Play” felt like a complete story from start to finish with Hazelwood cleverly finding ways to incorporate flashbacks that further established Viola and Jesse’s history. The circumstances surrounding the retreat force them to confront each other and is what ultimately propels their relationship development. It should come as a surprise to no one that their chemistry is electric! The wintery setting creates a memorable backdrop for their budding romance. I hope this comes out in book form eventually so that I can add it to my collection!