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smallmac's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.0
Some of the references are going to age really fast (Jujutsu Kaisen), but I enjoyed the depictions of online chat interactions. They felt pretty accurate to experiences I've had playing MMOs, even if they were a bit verbose. Overall a nice, breezy romance with little friction. It could have gone further into the sticky parts of Maggie and Aiden's lives, but it didn't have to.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia, Homophobia, Outing, Toxic relationship, Bullying, and Emotional abuse
amy_in_the_city's review
emotional
funny
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
I loved this book so much! Introverts finding the one person that doesn't drain them is literally my dream! It was funny at times, heartbreaking at others. I liked that it didn't romanticize small towns and acknowledged small towns aren't a good fit for everyone. It also had some LGBTQIA+ representation, with a biromantic demisexual main character. The scene where Maggie tears into Aiden's biphobic relatives was one of the most satisfying things I've ever read, as was seeing Aiden stand up for himself.
As someone on the ace spectrum, I appreciated that this book had a main character, especially an older character, discovering that they were demisexual. However, the book got some things wrong about asexuality. At one point, Maggie explains that "Ace is also called 'graysexual.'" A quick Google search would have confirmed that those two terms don't mean the same thing and that "graysexual" is actually just one of many different types of asexuality. It's clear from other terms used in explaining asexuality that the author did research various terminology. It just seems like she got confused at some point with a couple of terms, but I wish there had been a sensitivity reader or an editor that could have caught this before it made it into the final book. I also thought Aiden seemed pretty clearly demiromantic as well, but this was never brought up and his demiromantic traits were lumped in with his demisexual traits. Terminology issues aside, I thought the demisexuality was represented well, and Aiden felt authentically demi in how he experienced the world and in how he reacted to learning there was a word for how he was.
Overall, this was a cute romance, and I had a great time reading it!
As someone on the ace spectrum, I appreciated that this book had a main character, especially an older character, discovering that they were demisexual. However, the book got some things wrong about asexuality. At one point, Maggie explains that "Ace is also called 'graysexual.'" A quick Google search would have confirmed that those two terms don't mean the same thing and that "graysexual" is actually just one of many different types of asexuality. It's clear from other terms used in explaining asexuality that the author did research various terminology. It just seems like she got confused at some point with a couple of terms, but I wish there had been a sensitivity reader or an editor that could have caught this before it made it into the final book. I also thought Aiden seemed pretty clearly demiromantic as well, but this was never brought up and his demiromantic traits were lumped in with his demisexual traits. Terminology issues aside, I thought the demisexuality was represented well, and Aiden felt authentically demi in how he experienced the world and in how he reacted to learning there was a word for how he was.
Overall, this was a cute romance, and I had a great time reading it!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Biphobia, Outing, Emotional abuse, and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, Bullying, Cursing, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Racism, Sexual content, and Xenophobia
Minor: Infidelity, Acephobia/Arophobia, Addiction, Alcohol, Car accident, Drug abuse, and Grief
juffnstuff's review
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Bullying, Biphobia, and Outing
Moderate: Sexual content
rickireadss's review against another edition
5.0
i LOVE maggie and aiden so much. i want to give aiden the biggest f*cking hug because he put up with way too much from his family. ughhhh they all made me so mad, but especially his brother like how can you just sit there and be so ignorant and oblivious or simply just not give a flying f*ck what your brother is doing and putting up with. like GROW TF UP bro. but omfg, aiden realizing that he's bi and demi?!?!? MY HEART WAS SO FULL. i think this is great rep, it made me cry, and i just loved how they talked about it together. ALL THE FEELS!!!! i loved the gaming aspect of this a LOT and love that that's what brought them together. i think the miscommunication/misunderstandings of each other's true ages was hilarious! i also just loved that they were older MCs, 48f 50m, and actually acted their ages. hands down a great book and i honestly want to reread it again!
⚠️: biphobia, homophobia, outing, emotional abuse, death of parent (cancer), acephoba/arophobia, racism, cancer, grief, misogyny, gaslighting, bullying, death of parents (car accident), religious bigotry
⚠️: biphobia, homophobia, outing, emotional abuse, death of parent (cancer), acephoba/arophobia, racism, cancer, grief, misogyny, gaslighting, bullying, death of parents (car accident), religious bigotry
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Biphobia, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Outing
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Misogyny, Cancer, Grief, and Gaslighting
Minor: Bullying, Religious bigotry, and Car accident
lololovesthings's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
4 stars!
I really enjoyed "Role Playing" by Cathy Yardley! I love the middle age representation in this book -- more of this in romantic fiction, I am begging you! I loved the main characters, Maggie (48) and Aiden (50). They are two super relatable, nerdy people who thrive separately and together in their mutual geekiness. They have both been burned in the past and are wary and guarded. Some may call them immature characters, but I disagree. Just because someone likes to play video games doesn't make them immature. Maggie is the kind of friend you want to have in your life. When some not-so-pleasant things happen to Aiden later in the book, Maggie stands up for him in a way that all allies should stand up for their friends. She gives no f**ks and doesn't care who she disappoints: if you hurt her friend, you have to deal with her. She's grumpy, sure, but it wholly fits her character. I love it when ladies get to be grumpy! And Aiden... sweet, cinnamon roll-y Aiden. My god, I'd do anything for him. I love how organically their friendship grows from online to in real life, and then when they become friends in real life, they eventually, slowly, become more. Swoony! It takes a while for the spice to start, but I think it's worth the wait. And speaking of online, this is a book where the miscommunications that occur online actually make sense and fit into the story. Aiden assumes Maggie is in her 80s, while Maggie thinks Aiden is in his 20s. Because they never discussed their ages online, when they meet in real life, it's a shock that they are so close in age. Sparks instantly fly, it just takes them a while to do something with them (which again, makes sense within the context of the story because Aiden is demisexual! Yay!). This story isn't all about healers and guilds and fractured feet and cooking international cuisine. It also contains some heavy discussions about empty nesting, bullying, demisexuality, homophobia/biphobia, outing, abuse, racism, and family trauma. There is A LOT going on in this story, so much so that I think it suffers a little from the load it has to carry. Yardley is trying to do a lot within a short amount of time, and I think some of the information is glossed over a bit as a result. My chief complaint about the book is that most of the side characters are downright awful, terrible people. Deb, Sheryl, Davy, all of them! Straight to the trash with you all! Also, Malcolm, Aiden's friend, what a misogynist a**hole! I have to assume all of these other characters are bad to make Aiden look even better, but I sure hated them! They constantly bring Maggie down by crapping on her looks and her clothes and how she chooses to live her life! Yardley does a good job writing these characters in despicable ways, but gosh, I hated them. And Aiden's mom? I know someone like this in real life! Can you imagine being as clueless and selfish and rude as that?! It's deeply disturbing that his mom goes out of her way to hurt her son when he wants nothing but the best for her. I am glad what happens at the end happens.
"Role Playing" is definitely worth reading! Check it out!
Thank you to NetGalley, Montlake, and Cathy Yardley for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
I really enjoyed "Role Playing" by Cathy Yardley! I love the middle age representation in this book -- more of this in romantic fiction, I am begging you! I loved the main characters, Maggie (48) and Aiden (50). They are two super relatable, nerdy people who thrive separately and together in their mutual geekiness. They have both been burned in the past and are wary and guarded. Some may call them immature characters, but I disagree. Just because someone likes to play video games doesn't make them immature. Maggie is the kind of friend you want to have in your life. When some not-so-pleasant things happen to Aiden later in the book, Maggie stands up for him in a way that all allies should stand up for their friends. She gives no f**ks and doesn't care who she disappoints: if you hurt her friend, you have to deal with her. She's grumpy, sure, but it wholly fits her character. I love it when ladies get to be grumpy! And Aiden... sweet, cinnamon roll-y Aiden. My god, I'd do anything for him. I love how organically their friendship grows from online to in real life, and then when they become friends in real life, they eventually, slowly, become more. Swoony! It takes a while for the spice to start, but I think it's worth the wait. And speaking of online, this is a book where the miscommunications that occur online actually make sense and fit into the story. Aiden assumes Maggie is in her 80s, while Maggie thinks Aiden is in his 20s. Because they never discussed their ages online, when they meet in real life, it's a shock that they are so close in age. Sparks instantly fly, it just takes them a while to do something with them (which again, makes sense within the context of the story because Aiden is demisexual! Yay!). This story isn't all about healers and guilds and fractured feet and cooking international cuisine. It also contains some heavy discussions about empty nesting, bullying, demisexuality, homophobia/biphobia, outing, abuse, racism, and family trauma. There is A LOT going on in this story, so much so that I think it suffers a little from the load it has to carry. Yardley is trying to do a lot within a short amount of time, and I think some of the information is glossed over a bit as a result. My chief complaint about the book is that most of the side characters are downright awful, terrible people. Deb, Sheryl, Davy, all of them! Straight to the trash with you all! Also, Malcolm, Aiden's friend, what a misogynist a**hole! I have to assume all of these other characters are bad to make Aiden look even better, but I sure hated them! They constantly bring Maggie down by crapping on her looks and her clothes and how she chooses to live her life! Yardley does a good job writing these characters in despicable ways, but gosh, I hated them. And Aiden's mom? I know someone like this in real life! Can you imagine being as clueless and selfish and rude as that?! It's deeply disturbing that his mom goes out of her way to hurt her son when he wants nothing but the best for her. I am glad what happens at the end happens.
"Role Playing" is definitely worth reading! Check it out!
Thank you to NetGalley, Montlake, and Cathy Yardley for the complimentary ARC of this book. All opinions are my own. I was not compensated for this review.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Biphobia, Outing, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Bullying
bookedinsideout's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Emotional abuse, Outing, Toxic relationship, Biphobia, and Homophobia
Moderate: Abandonment, Bullying, and Acephobia/Arophobia
Minor: Cancer, Death of parent, and Racism
Acephobia: When the main character tries to explain to a woman that he's not attracted to people in general, she brushes it off by saying he doesn't have to make something up because he doesn't like her.elfit's review
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I'm going to reiterate what other reviewers have said, stick with it. It starts out slow, providing a background to understand the characters, what they have been through, what they currently are going through, setting the stage to their inevitable meeting. And once they meet, it's adorable, comforting, and very powerful. The small town growing up Asian-American in a predominantly white area, influenced by old, stale grudges and deciding that you no longer care what others say to you was very powerful, and though Maggie is a bit more hermit than I am I felt that I connected with her very well. There were many times when my heart went out to Aiden, what he was going through, what his mother put him through but his growth and his healing was comforting.
This cover is very cute, it is part of what drew me to this book, and this arc. I went in thinking I would read a comfy, easy contemporary romance. But don't let this cover fool you. There is growth, a lot of baggage (and some trauma) and a whole lot of don't care/live my life Bogwitch energy.
If you want older romantic leads, Asian-American representation in a small town, LGBTQ+, and a cathartic HEA come find this book.
This cover is very cute, it is part of what drew me to this book, and this arc. I went in thinking I would read a comfy, easy contemporary romance. But don't let this cover fool you. There is growth, a lot of baggage (and some trauma) and a whole lot of don't care/live my life Bogwitch energy.
If you want older romantic leads, Asian-American representation in a small town, LGBTQ+, and a cathartic HEA come find this book.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Bullying, Toxic relationship, Gaslighting, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Racism, Outing, and Death of parent
lillygabriella's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Deliciously Awkward!
I had no idea Gamer Geek was a subgenre of Romance now! I'm so glad to find out this exists! I got this as a Kindle First read, and finished in one day. I am really happy it was one of the options.
So what happens when two introverts get to know each other through an MMO? Misconceptions about identities, and wacky hijinks of course! Small towns, small dating pools, judgy people, family dysfunction, this book has it all. And some spicy romance to boot!
I rate the spice 2/5 chili peppers. The sex scenes are fairly explicit, more R than X rating. So if you like romance but not the sex stuff, it's really a small part of the story, and easily skimmable if it's not your thing. Well worth reading if it is, though.
I am definitely going to have to check out some of Cathy Yardley's other work.
I had no idea Gamer Geek was a subgenre of Romance now! I'm so glad to find out this exists! I got this as a Kindle First read, and finished in one day. I am really happy it was one of the options.
So what happens when two introverts get to know each other through an MMO? Misconceptions about identities, and wacky hijinks of course! Small towns, small dating pools, judgy people, family dysfunction, this book has it all. And some spicy romance to boot!
I rate the spice 2/5 chili peppers. The sex scenes are fairly explicit, more R than X rating. So if you like romance but not the sex stuff, it's really a small part of the story, and easily skimmable if it's not your thing. Well worth reading if it is, though.
I am definitely going to have to check out some of Cathy Yardley's other work.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia, Homophobia, Outing, Bullying, Cursing, and Sexual content
Minor: Violence, Toxic relationship, Car accident, Cancer, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, Grief, Alcohol, Terminal illness, Animal death, Domestic abuse, Racism, Religious bigotry, and Sexism
sarahsthoughtsonbooks's review
emotional
funny
lighthearted
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Biphobia
Minor: Death of parent, Outing, Racism, Bullying, Toxic relationship, and Medical content
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