Reviews tagging 'Death of parent'

Role Playing by Cathy Yardley

52 reviews

bookishbrtny's review against another edition

funny lighthearted 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? No

5.0

This book was phenomenal!  I fell in love with these characters and did not want the story to end.  

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Death of parent and Biphobia

shector1's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted reflective relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Biphobia, Toxic relationship, Sexual content, and Outing

Moderate: Cursing

Minor: Death of parent, Car accident, Grief, and Cancer

litstyleguide's review against another edition

4.0

Really appreciated reading a romance that had “older” people in it. The MCs are in their late forties, which was nice to see! Also appreciated that our MCs weren’t like ridiculously hot, just average people, and was happy with the Bi/Demi representation included. 

Gaming makes up a lot of this story, and it’s just not something I’m really interested in. I didn’t really feel any connection to it, but overall liked this one, and thought it was cute.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing

Minor: Death of parent

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

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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 against another edition

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.

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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.

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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

hithereimlauren's review against another edition

emotional funny 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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Outing and Biphobia

Moderate: Cancer and Death of parent

Minor: Misogyny, Grief, and Car accident

wilybooklover's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted medium-paced

4.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Emotional abuse, Outing, Homophobia, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, and Biphobia

Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Death of parent, and Grief

Minor: Racism, Cancer, Drug abuse, Car accident, and Injury/Injury detail

gemin1reader's review against another edition

emotional lighthearted

3.0

This was the first romance I’ve read which features an older couple - he is 50, she’s around 48 - which was great and made such a nice change. 

It was cute but just a bit cringe in places (particularly her ‘badass’ attitude) and I felt like they actually fell in love a bit too quickly. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death of parent, Grief, Homophobia, and Biphobia

Minor: Infidelity and Pregnancy

sebrittainclark's review against another edition

lighthearted relaxing 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

Maggie is 48, and now that her son has left for college, she's living on her own for the first time since her twenties. She's made the transition from introvert to full on hermit, so she joins a local online gaming guild made up of community college students who Maggies assumes are in their 20s. Aiden, moved back home to help take care of his mother and is the leader of the local gaming guild. He's also 50, not 20, so when a friendship builds between the two, they're shocked to learn who the other person really is.

I really loved this book. The romance is builds from friendship to something more, and I loved the journey the main characters go on. I also loved the bisexual/demisexual representation.

Content warning: there's some queerphobia by side characters and one main character is outed.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Homophobia, Outing, and Biphobia

Minor: Death of parent and Infidelity