REVIEW: Next Level Love by Shameez Patel

Next Level Love by Shameez Patel: What happens when your safe, flirty, low-pressure online friendship turns out to be… your actual boss?

Elizabeth is trying to rebuild her life — new internship, dream career in civil engineering, and zero desire to repeat old family drama. The one place she feels fully herself? Online. Gaming. Teaming up with @theanswerisno, the one person who just gets her.

Meanwhile, in real life? Her boss Lincoln is intimidating, serious, and impossible to read. What neither of them realize is that their favorite online teammate and their most complicated real-life coworker… are the same person. And once those worlds start to overlap? Things get messy. And risky. And maybe a little too real.

NEXT LEVEL LOVE is the kind of romance that makes you grin because the feelings and awkward, heart-fluttering moments hit so close to home — especially if you’ve ever been bolder online than you are in real life.

Tropes:

• Workplace romance
• Online gaming connection
• Secret identity reveal
• Slow-burn tension
• Mutual pining

Themes:

• Digital identity vs. real-life vulnerability
• Women navigating male-dominated spaces
• Communication & emotional safety
• Starting over
• Risk vs. reward

What I enjoyed most is how this story balances romance with ambition. The stakes aren’t just about their feelings — they’re about careers, reputation, and whether taking a risk on love is worth potentially losing everything you’ve worked for. Watching the slow-burn reveal unfold had me smiling the whole way — the chemistry is adorably geeky, and by the end, I was completely wrapped up in their story.

A charming, geeky romance with heart — soft, thoughtful, and just complicated enough to keep you turning pages. If you love geeky charm, layered emotional tension, and romance that explores who we are when we feel safest — you’ll want to grab NEXT LEVEL LOVE for your next cozy reading escape

Book Info:

Publication: January 20, 2026 | Forever |

When two people find out their online crushes are actually their IRL coworkers, they must figure out a way to work with each other in this charming and geeky romcom perfect for fans of Olivia Dade.

When your favorite player turns out to be your very real boss, the rules are a lot more complicated.

Elizabeth Gordon-Bettencourt is rebuilding her life on her own terms, starting with a new internship, a shot at her dream job as a civil engineer, and a whole lot of distance from her family’s drama. With her life full of change, the one constant is @theanswerisno, a charming gamer who seems to just . . . get her. Even if he has no interest in meeting her in real life.

Elizabeth would feel a lot more confident about her job if her new boss wasn’t so hard to read. Lincoln Carden is quiet, demanding, and adamant about avoiding small talk—especially in the office. What she doesn’t know is that online, he’s someone else entirely: quick, confident, and a little bit flirty. And his favorite player to team up with is @pancakesareelite, the one person who never makes him feel like he has to try so hard. As their two worlds start to collide, Elizabeth and Lincoln start to wonder: with their careers on the line and their online friendship at risk, is a romance IRL worth it?