Perfect on Play

Sofi Riest has mastered everything except love. At twenty-nine, she's a successful senior creative producer at a fast-growing streaming startup, creating viral romance content that millions of people binge every day. But behind the polished edits, glowing screens, and endless deadlines, Sofi's real life feels painfully empty. Burned out from work and still haunted by the words of her ex—"You care more about your career than relationships"—Sofi has stopped believing real love is meant for her. So when a mysterious app called PlayPerfect promises "Your Perfect Boyfriend, On Demand," curiosity gets the better of her. Inside the immersive VR world, Sofi discovers everything she thought romance should feel like. A poetic prince who whispers compliments under ballroom chandeliers. A daring rebel spy who pulls her into adrenaline-fueled kisses on futuristic rooftops. A gentle childhood friend who holds her hand like he's loved her forever. Every fantasy is perfectly tailored. Every touch feels real. Every moment is exactly what she ordered. There's just one problem. None of it is real. In the real world, Sofi is forced to collaborate with Kai Nakamura, the brilliant but frustratingly awkward AI engineer helping build the technology behind PlayPerfect. Kai is observant, stubborn, and terrible at small talk—but somehow he always notices the little things about Sofi that no one else does. Like how she secretly prefers iced matcha over coffee. Or how she hides exhaustion behind sarcastic jokes. Or how her laugh changes when she forgets to guard her heart. As Sofi dives deeper into the addictive perfection of her virtual romances, Kai struggles with feelings he's kept hidden for years. Watching her fall for digital fantasies while standing only a few feet away might be the hardest thing he's ever done. Because unlike the flawless lovers inside the simulation, Kai is very real. And very imperfect. But when the line between Sofi's virtual dates and her real emotions begins to blur, she's forced to face a difficult question: Is perfect love something you can program… —or something messy, unpredictable, and human that you have to risk your heart for? Perfect on Play is a steamy, slow-burn contemporary romance about burnout, digital fantasy, and the terrifying vulnerability of choosing real love in a world full of perfect illusions. For readers who love: workplace romance with witty banter slow-burn tension and emotional payoff technology-meets-romance stories messy, heartfelt love that grows beyond fantasy Because sometimes the perfect love story isn't the one you design. It's the one you dare to live.