Reviews tagging 'Toxic friendship'

Role Playing by Cathy Yardley

4 reviews

jackieyvette's review

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emotional funny inspiring 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

4.75

Now this is a modern contemporary romance. Realistic without being boring, Romantic without being cringey and had all the right plot points. Maggie was fun, honest and caring and Aiden was charming, kind and pragmatic. They were an introvert match made in heaven. 
The conversations regarding Aiden's sexuality were done so well too which was surprising to me because rarely ever do contemporary modern romances speak about LGBTQ+ people and spaces with the care and respect it deserves. Also, the leads being 48/50 was such a good call. Nothing blander than a late twenties/early thirties romance. Newsflash people, older people fall in love too!
Side characters that were not actual friends to the main characters all sucked. Mrs. Bishop, Deb, Patience, Sheryl, Trev, Davey, even Kit pissed me off in the end. So, shitty people ruining two actual good people in love, as realistic as it can get.
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ta2dlibrarian's review

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challenging emotional inspiring lighthearted tense 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

The perfect, inclusive romance for gamers doesn't exi . . . *record scratch* 
Calling all MMORPG fans! This is the romance you've been waiting for. The author has done their gamer research and it shows!  

My only gripe is the quick resolution between the protagonists and their toxic past, which is anything but realistic. 
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babeinlibrary's review

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challenging emotional funny hopeful informative inspiring lighthearted reflective tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I regret to inform you that this wasn't for me! Don't get me wrong, I see the value and can relate to this book on a different level. However I disliked everyone except AIDEN. I mean I actively dislike people like Sheryl, Davy, Deb, and Aiden's Mom (for a large portion of the book I simply tolerated her but she did grow on me). 

There were a few moments in the writing that felt very cringy and "tik tok" culture slang -_-.  Big Dork Energy and F around and Find out. We could just not! 

However it is only fair for me to also share: I love that Cathy wrote Maggie with common sense when it came to worrying about her safety when it came to meeting an online stranger. I respect that Maggie was down to ride for the people she loved and had a best friend who was willing to do the same.
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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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