Scan barcode
diya13's review
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
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
3.5
liza5326's review
4.0
This was an absolutely delightful geeky book! The characters are so well written and I love how Kelly’s grief is handled. It’s not a normal response and that’s okay. Found family is a huge favorite of mine and this just hit all the right buttons. It’s part of a series, but can be read as a standalone. But why not enjoy the whole series?
jugglingpup's review
5.0
To see the full review check it out here.
This might just be my favorite book in this series. It is full of people healing, roller derby, and bi pride. It was clearly made for me.
This might just be my favorite book in this series. It is full of people healing, roller derby, and bi pride. It was clearly made for me.
mmromancereviewed's review
5.0
Fair warning, the backstories of both characters aren't pretty... Kelly was in an abusive relationship and Tabby has had to deal with a homophobic family all her life... but when they get together it's a beautiful thing and a pleasure to read....
Having followed the entire Dungeons and Dating series, and seeing the hints that were dropped about Kelly's relationship with her girlfriend throughout the series, you know that there's a hurt/comfort element going to be present in this story, but it's done so well that it's not glaringly obvious, even to the main characters and that's what I love about Katherine McIntyre's stories - they are both subtle and obvious, loud and quiet.... and it just keeps pulling you back into the story.
Having followed the entire Dungeons and Dating series, and seeing the hints that were dropped about Kelly's relationship with her girlfriend throughout the series, you know that there's a hurt/comfort element going to be present in this story, but it's done so well that it's not glaringly obvious, even to the main characters and that's what I love about Katherine McIntyre's stories - they are both subtle and obvious, loud and quiet.... and it just keeps pulling you back into the story.
cleo_reads's review
3.5
B-
Compelling, sexy ff butch/femme bi romance. The romance was emotionally satisfying but the writing wasn't completely to my taste. I noticed some repetitive words and phrases that took me out of the story. Read the sample. This is part of a series but it seemed pretty stand alone to me, having not read the earlier books.
Compelling, sexy ff butch/femme bi romance. The romance was emotionally satisfying but the writing wasn't completely to my taste. I noticed some repetitive words and phrases that took me out of the story. Read the sample. This is part of a series but it seemed pretty stand alone to me, having not read the earlier books.
mkeen148's review
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
sad
medium-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
5.0
itssarahc's review
5.0
I have been a huge fan of Katherine McIntyre's Dungeons and Dating series since the first one. The variety of LGBTQ+ ships and characters. The found family. The absolutely lovable nerds. They all hit the spot for me. I was therefore unsurprised to love this one. What I was surprised by, though, was how much this book just SPOKE to me and how it turned out to be the book I needed.
This book starts a few months after the death of Kelly's ex-girlfriend. Its New Years Eve and Kelly is looking for a physical escape for one night. She finds it in Tabby, a butch woman with a reputation for being the love 'em and leave 'em type - exactly what Kelly is looking for. But the world is small and the two of them have a lot of mutual friends - particularly due to the fact that Tabby is on the same roller derby team that featured heavily in book one.
The relationship between Tabby and Kelly starts out as purely physical - and I think my Kindle wanted to explode a few times from just how hot it was. But it quickly turns into more than just mutual stress relief. Tabby and Kelly get to know one another and find out how much their broken pieces fit together.
This is a book about healing the hurts of the past. It is a book about scarred souls finding love and getting the happily ever after that they both deserve. It is a book of unconditional acceptance. Every single part of this book - it just hit. The relationship was believable and well paced. I wished there was more communication at times between Tabby and Kelly, but the way they turned physical every time things started getting a bit too emotional? I liked it. It felt real, like two people who want to say something but don't have the words and use action to both show and distract. It didn't feel like there was a lack of communication for the sake of drama.
There are some trigger warnings you need to heed for this book, including death of a partner (off page) and emotional abuse (mostly off page). There's a list of triggers in the book, so make sure to check those out before committing to the story. But then, read it. Because this was easily my favorite book in what is already one of my favorite series.
** DISCLAIMER: I recieved an advance copy of this book from GRR and am voluntarily leaving my review. **
This book starts a few months after the death of Kelly's ex-girlfriend. Its New Years Eve and Kelly is looking for a physical escape for one night. She finds it in Tabby, a butch woman with a reputation for being the love 'em and leave 'em type - exactly what Kelly is looking for. But the world is small and the two of them have a lot of mutual friends - particularly due to the fact that Tabby is on the same roller derby team that featured heavily in book one.
The relationship between Tabby and Kelly starts out as purely physical - and I think my Kindle wanted to explode a few times from just how hot it was. But it quickly turns into more than just mutual stress relief. Tabby and Kelly get to know one another and find out how much their broken pieces fit together.
This is a book about healing the hurts of the past. It is a book about scarred souls finding love and getting the happily ever after that they both deserve. It is a book of unconditional acceptance. Every single part of this book - it just hit. The relationship was believable and well paced. I wished there was more communication at times between Tabby and Kelly, but the way they turned physical every time things started getting a bit too emotional? I liked it. It felt real, like two people who want to say something but don't have the words and use action to both show and distract. It didn't feel like there was a lack of communication for the sake of drama.
There are some trigger warnings you need to heed for this book, including death of a partner (off page) and emotional abuse (mostly off page). There's a list of triggers in the book, so make sure to check those out before committing to the story. But then, read it. Because this was easily my favorite book in what is already one of my favorite series.
** DISCLAIMER: I recieved an advance copy of this book from GRR and am voluntarily leaving my review. **
xanthe87's review
5.0
Constitution Check is the fourth book is this brilliant series by Katherine McIntyre who focuses on different queer couples per book but who work or are known by those working at the Table Top Tavern, a gaming cafe in San Fransisco.
Kelly is three months on from the death of her girlfriend and struggling with feelings of guilt, shame and relief. There's a lot of emotional baggage that is hidden behind her bubbly personality but Tabby, her New Year's hookup, is drawn in from the moment she spots her sat at the bar. Tabby has her own things going on with her brother getting married but that's not been a positive relationship in years along with not sharing her true self with those around her.
For what is meant to be casual, these two have an immediate strong connection. What they share is hot and sexy, throughout the book but they also show the other the type of person that they long for. That's hard for both of them to accept, though, with recent experiences causing them to doubt themselves and what others see in them. It's a really emotional journey for both characters and for the reader. Tabby's came as a surprise and I love that we get to see the softer side behind what she shows the outside world and Kelly is the perfect balm for her. For Kelly, there's only so long she can go before everything she's been pushing down for years will explode out of her. Her friends have been a wonderfully supportive group since her girlfriend died but, when they don't know the whole story, it's impossible to lean on them in the way she needs. An outsider is perfect to help with that, even though there were never supposed to be feelings involved for either woman.
I loved this from the start. Kelly and Tabby's strength shines through with what they have both had to endure, Katherine's writing really drawing you into their experiences and the mental challenges they face, as well as the intensity of the relationship that develops between them. I'd recommend reading the series in order, just for knowing the other people from the friendship group but it can be read as a standalone.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.
Kelly is three months on from the death of her girlfriend and struggling with feelings of guilt, shame and relief. There's a lot of emotional baggage that is hidden behind her bubbly personality but Tabby, her New Year's hookup, is drawn in from the moment she spots her sat at the bar. Tabby has her own things going on with her brother getting married but that's not been a positive relationship in years along with not sharing her true self with those around her.
For what is meant to be casual, these two have an immediate strong connection. What they share is hot and sexy, throughout the book but they also show the other the type of person that they long for. That's hard for both of them to accept, though, with recent experiences causing them to doubt themselves and what others see in them. It's a really emotional journey for both characters and for the reader. Tabby's came as a surprise and I love that we get to see the softer side behind what she shows the outside world and Kelly is the perfect balm for her. For Kelly, there's only so long she can go before everything she's been pushing down for years will explode out of her. Her friends have been a wonderfully supportive group since her girlfriend died but, when they don't know the whole story, it's impossible to lean on them in the way she needs. An outsider is perfect to help with that, even though there were never supposed to be feelings involved for either woman.
I loved this from the start. Kelly and Tabby's strength shines through with what they have both had to endure, Katherine's writing really drawing you into their experiences and the mental challenges they face, as well as the intensity of the relationship that develops between them. I'd recommend reading the series in order, just for knowing the other people from the friendship group but it can be read as a standalone.
I received an ARC and am happily giving a review.
azurahh's review
emotional
hopeful
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? No
3.5
A copy of the book was provided to Sapphic Book Club ( https://sapphicbookclub.tumblr.com) in exchange for an honest review.
Kelly has recently escaped an abusive relationship as her girlfriend died in a car crash – but her friends don’t know that it was abusive. Tabby is a roller derby enthusiast and secret nerd who desperately wants to be in a relationship but keeps having one night stands instead. They hook up on New Years’ Eve and then find themselves falling into each other again… and again… and again.
Overall, this was a fine romance novel; I enjoyed this but found it a bit of a slog at times. Some of the writing about their emotional baggage was a bit heavy-handed at times and they seemed to have fundamentally similar emotional issues. I also found the miscommunications and set-up a bit too heavy-handed; they agreed to be friends with benefits and call it off if they caught feelings, but it was obvious they already liked each other romantically at that point, so the agreement didn’t ring true. This might be a personal preference as I am not a huge romance reader – I tend to intersperse my romance reading with sci-fi, fantasy, and YA, so I find some romance conventions a little jarring.
I have not read any of the other books in the series before this, but of course it stood by itself just fine! I honestly would have enjoyed more focus on the board game café setting and the Dungeons and Dragons group, but nerdiness and gaming were definitely a clear thread throughout the book.
I enjoyed Tabby’s arc more than Kelly’s, probably just because I found her a more relatable character. The side characters felt a bit flat and as if they were just there to advance the romantic arc, but I think if I had read the previous books about them, I would feel more like they were fleshed out.
A major theme throughout the book was being true to yourself and standing up for yourself – ultimately, Kelly’s arc was about finding self-love and hope after her abusive relationship, while Tabby’s was about reconnecting with buried parts of herself and asserting boundaries with family members. Both of these themes will likely resonate with queer readers, especially gender-non-conforming women (as they did for me!).
Overall, I would recommend this as a fun-but-sometimes-angsty read for someone who likes romance novels, especially if they also like table-top games, butch/femme relationships, and a good dash of hot sex on the side.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Death, Emotional abuse, Domestic abuse, and Toxic relationship
rafrickauthor's review
5.0
This is the first FF book I’ve ever read, and I wasn’t sure I’d be into it. But McIntyre did excellent at continuing her series of queer D&D nerds with dark pasts.
Kelly is going through some multi-faceted grief, while Tabby is dealing with her own internal and external stress. Both are striving to find who they are and be happy.
The twists in the story were fun, and the intimate scenes hot! Definitely recommend if you liked others in this series or want a good women loving women story!
Kelly is going through some multi-faceted grief, while Tabby is dealing with her own internal and external stress. Both are striving to find who they are and be happy.
The twists in the story were fun, and the intimate scenes hot! Definitely recommend if you liked others in this series or want a good women loving women story!
More...