Reviews tagging 'Terminal illness'

Role Playing by Cathy Yardley

5 reviews

claire_riach's review

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emotional funny lighthearted medium-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? Yes

3.75

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krystalanddogs's review

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emotional funny hopeful lighthearted reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

I'm not sure if I actually feel this is 4 or 5 stars but it's so sweet. It's fun to read a story that isn't about 20 somethings and I really liked the journeys of both MCs. Aiden is chest clutchingly sweet and I identify a lot with Maggie. This was just nice. It's been on my shelf for a while and I'm glad I finally picked it up. 

Be aware there is some homophobia/biphobia and ace/aro denying/shaming, as well as some family tension around those facts. Mostly hinted at being in the back story but there is a little bit of direct dialogue. 
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bookcheshirecat's review against another edition

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emotional funny hopeful medium-paced
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes

4.5

“Some people might think this erratic, possibly a cause for concern. She preferred to think of it as not giving a single, solitary fuck.” 

➽ Role Playing was such a sweet, nerdy Romance! I love that the story follows two older adults (48 & 50), as I feel like we don't see that nearly enough in Romance! Maggie and Aiden both meet through an online gaming guild, but have no idea who the other is in real life. Maggie's a bit of a hermit (very relatable), so she's pushed by her son to engage with others. Since she's not really interested in talking with anyone from her small town, she turns to her favorite hobby: gaming. I loved Maggie a lot as she was so relatable and probably how I'll turn out in the future! It's always lovely to see someone older still being passionate about their hobbies. I also appreciated that she has a close bond with her son, who's off to college and kind of like a friend to her. Maggie can be a bit grumpy but is very caring and loyal to her friends. As a fellow introvert, I could relate to her need for personal space!

➽ Aiden is also a sweetheart! He runs the online gaming guild that Maggie joins with a few of his friends. He's moved back home after his father's death to take care of his ailing mother. He had a nursing business with his best friend, so Aiden knows how to be a caretaker. He's got such a big heart, so it hurt to see how manipulative and bigoted his mother was. Aiden was never her favorite and he does everything to take care of her, but his mother constantly berates him. I understood that she struggled with getting older and not wanting to believe it might be time to make changes. However, her behavior was still unacceptable and made me so sad for Aiden, who's left to deal with her. His brother's MIA as he doesn't want to deal with it, so Aiden truly is the main caretaker.

➽ I loved how Aiden and Maggie connected through gaming! Both of them are in desperate need of a friend and they immediately hit it off. Originally, they misjudge each other (Aiden thinks Maggie's an old grandmother, while she thinks he's a college student) but later meet in real life as they live in the same town. I loved how fiercely protective Maggie was of him and how furious she was at his family for treating him so badly. Their relationship was realistic but also very sweet and I was rooting for them the entire time! 
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lillygabriella's review against another edition

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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.
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whackettreading's review against another edition

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emotional 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

4.0

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