THE CUFFING GAME, by Lyla Lee, HarperCollins, Nov. 18, 2025, Hardcover, $19.99 (young adult)
A college freshman’s life is turned upside down when her secret crush is cast on her own dating show in The Cuffing Game, by Lyla Lee.
It is a truth universally acknowledged that when there is a hot person, there is also someone with a crush on them.
Mia Yoon has a plan for everything. Get a full ride to her dream film school in Los Angeles, behind her mom’s back, and escape her middle-of-nowhere hometown—check. Produce her own dating show starring other people and their crushes—check. But everything goes off the rails when she has to enlist the help of her own secret crush, Noah Jang, a boy she’d rather hate.
Despite being a campus celebrity voted “most eligible student bachelor,” Noah can’t remember the last time he was in a relationship. And he’s perfectly content with that, thank you very much, especially since just the word feelings makes him uncomfortable. But he can’t stop staring at Mia, who keeps glaring at him in class. And when she asks him to be on her dating show—as one of the contestants—he can’t say no.
As Noah goes on more and more romantic dates on The Cuffing Game and Mia watches from behind the camera, something feels off. With the showrunner and contestant slowly falling for one another, can the show still go on? —Synopsis provided by HarperCollins
The Cuffing Game is billed as a “deliciously fun YA K-drama remix of Pride and Prejudice — if Mr. Darcy and Elizabeth Bennett were a college-run reality TV dating show.” I don’t know if I’d go that far. While there are a few nods to the classic, I didn’t find myself in constant comparison. It is, however, a fun enemies-to-lovers romance with a bit of drama mixed in for good measure.
The Cuffing Game reads like a made-for-tv romance. It’s got all the elements — multiple crushes, awkward situations, enemies thrust together, miscommunication, etc. — set against the backdrop of a winter wonderland with cameras catching everything.
Mia and Noah are both likeable enough, but neither is super developed — this isn’t that deep of a read. That doesn’t really matter, though, since it’s more of a “popcorn” book.
The Cuffing Game is a quick-moving, cute rom-com with lots of LGBTQIA+ representation that will appeal to readers looking for a light-hearted, sweet romance to escape into.
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