I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
The Cuffing Game
by Lyla Lee
Published by HarperCollins on November 18, 2025
Setting: California
Genres: YA Romance
Pages: 365
Format: Kindle
Source: NetGalley
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon
Bestselling author Lyla Lee delivers 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.
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?
The Cuffing Game by Lyla Lee brings Mia Yoon close in proximity to her crush during winter break.
Can Mia Yoon focus on her show and not Noah?
Mia Yoon
Mia Yoon is a freshman at Marlon University in California, far away from her family in Dallas, Texas. She is navigating a life away from her family for the first time, while trying to prove to them that she is on the right path. I like how Mia tries not to like Noah while they are away from Los Angeles, filming her show in Big Bear. Mia is a complex character, and I appreciate how she evolves from a person who thinks she can tackle everything solo to realizing that asking for help isn’t for the weak. Another thing that I like about Mia is that she loves her family, even if she doesn’t truly realize what she gave up to move to California from Texas for this chance at her dream.
Noah Jang
Noah Jang is a senior at Marlon University. He is that character who looks hot, knows it, and he owns it as well, even if that means projecting a form of himself that isn’t real in college. Noah has a lot of walls up and doesn’t realize how many until he goes on The Cuffing Game. I have to say that I do like Noah, even if he sometimes is a douche and only likes to push Mia’s buttons. I can’t say much about Noah since I feel like that would spoil a lot, but he is an excellent character once you give him a chance.
The Romance
One of my favorite tropes is the enemies-to-lovers one, and Mia and Noah definitely brought that to spades in this book. I loved reading their love story and how it just fell into place for them. Mia and Noah are great as debaters in their film class together, and when given the chance to bounce ideas off each other for filming, even if their love story had a few bumps in the road to get the two of them together, it’s a great read.
Five Stars
My rating for The Cuffing Game by Lyla Lee is five stars. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to give Ms. Lee a chance with her young adult/adult books. Ms. Lee is a great author, and I love how she incorporates the aspect of a college run reality show to bring the main couple together.
Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of The Cuffing Game by Lyla Lee.
Until the next time,
Happy Reading!
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About Lyla Lee
Lyla Lee is the bestselling author of books for all ages. Inspired by her Korean heritage and love of pop culture, she writes cute and sometimes swoony stories that have been translated into multiple languages around the world. Originally from South Korea, she’s lived in various cities throughout the United States, worked in Hollywood, and studied Psychology and Cinematic Arts at the University of Southern California. She now lives in Dallas, Texas.
Reading this book contributed to these challenges:
- 2025 Goodreads RC
- 2025 Romance Book Reading Challenge
- 2025 Young Adult Book RC
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