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4.25 AVERAGE
4.25 AVERAGE
adventurous
emotional
funny
medium-paced
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Loveable characters:
Yes
This book was so fun! Sapphic ttrpg has to be one of my favorite genres at the moment and this one checked my boxes. It felt a bit rushed at points, but overall I really enjoyed this book!
Oh. My. Gosh. This book is incredible. It's giving bisexual awakening plus non-binary representation meets nerdy neurodivergent adventuring, and I am SO in love. I don't have a single complaint. Literally not a one. June and Nova are electric. I laughed, I gasped, and I FELL IN LOVE with this story. Absolutely phenomenal!
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
So stinking cute! A very cozy romance, Loved the low stakes. Also several references that made me so happy, including one to The Locked Tomb series!
Di-Curious by Erin Branch is a contemporary sapphic romance with a touch of cozy fantasy that delves into the life of June, a mid-level Dungeons and Dragons influencer who, despite her internet fame, struggles with her personal life and lives in her parents' basement. When a lucrative opportunity arises, June is forced to reconnect with her old friends after being disinvited from her celebrity D&D group. This leads to awkward interactions with her former best friend Nova, who gives her the cold shoulder in real life while flirting with her character during game sessions. As June navigates these dynamics, she begins to confront long-ignored feelings, leading to a journey of self-discovery and rekindled relationships.
I picked up Di-Curious because it combined several elements I love: D&D, sapphic romance, and second-chance romances. However, despite the promising premise and plot, the book fell short in its execution. One of my primary complaints is that the characters felt one-dimensional and did not convincingly portray their near-thirty age. The dialogue and behavior read more like a YA novel with teenage characters than an adult novel with adult characters, which detracted from the story's authenticity.
Despite these flaws, I still gave the book 3 stars, mainly due to the enjoyable integration of the D&D characters into the narrative. This aspect added a unique and fun layer to the story, blending the game world with the characters' real lives in an engaging way. However, the overall plot and character development left much to be desired. The resolution felt too neat and rushed, making the cozy ending less satisfying. While I appreciate cozy stories with guaranteed happy endings, this one lacked the depth and build-up needed to make the conclusion feel earned.
Thank you to Erin Branch for providing this ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced by receiving the ARC.
I picked up Di-Curious because it combined several elements I love: D&D, sapphic romance, and second-chance romances. However, despite the promising premise and plot, the book fell short in its execution. One of my primary complaints is that the characters felt one-dimensional and did not convincingly portray their near-thirty age. The dialogue and behavior read more like a YA novel with teenage characters than an adult novel with adult characters, which detracted from the story's authenticity.
Despite these flaws, I still gave the book 3 stars, mainly due to the enjoyable integration of the D&D characters into the narrative. This aspect added a unique and fun layer to the story, blending the game world with the characters' real lives in an engaging way. However, the overall plot and character development left much to be desired. The resolution felt too neat and rushed, making the cozy ending less satisfying. While I appreciate cozy stories with guaranteed happy endings, this one lacked the depth and build-up needed to make the conclusion feel earned.
Thank you to Erin Branch for providing this ARC. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and were not influenced by receiving the ARC.
adventurous
funny
hopeful
inspiring
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
So, overall I thought this was a cute book, and I was rooting for the couple by the end of the book.
But it started off rough, what with the "miscommunication trope" coming in writ large.
Also, as a D&D player, it's definitely more fun to play D&D than to read about other people playing D&D, but at least the game sessions added to the overall plot, and weren't just there for the sake of it. I do find it questionable for the DM to bring someone in for the sole purpose ofgetting revenge on and trying to kill the character of another friend/player.
But the execution could've been a bit cleaner. For one, the narration was a bit too similar for the two characters. There were time where, if the chapters didn't say whose perspective it was from, I wouldn't have known based on the wording. At all.
The whole character of Parker was dumb and unnecessary. Like, it was fine for him to exist as an ex-boyfriend and existential dread, but he didn't need to join the D&D group, and he would've been kicked out after that first disastrous performance.
People talked in ways that sounded like therapy sessions more than discussions. And this is from someone whose actually had conversations like this, but is realizing how weird it would be to be an outsider on those conversations.
I was glad that <spoilers>secrets finally came out by the end, and everyone was on the same page going forward. Like I said, I was rooting for them, and I'm glad we got in a good place by the end.
But it started off rough, what with the "miscommunication trope" coming in writ large.
Also, as a D&D player, it's definitely more fun to play D&D than to read about other people playing D&D, but at least the game sessions added to the overall plot, and weren't just there for the sake of it. I do find it questionable for the DM to bring someone in for the sole purpose of
But the execution could've been a bit cleaner. For one, the narration was a bit too similar for the two characters. There were time where, if the chapters didn't say whose perspective it was from, I wouldn't have known based on the wording. At all.
The whole character of Parker was dumb and unnecessary. Like, it was fine for him to exist as an ex-boyfriend and existential dread, but he didn't need to join the D&D group, and he would've been kicked out after that first disastrous performance.
People talked in ways that sounded like therapy sessions more than discussions. And this is from someone whose actually had conversations like this, but is realizing how weird it would be to be an outsider on those conversations.
I was glad that <spoilers>secrets finally came out by the end, and everyone was on the same page going forward. Like I said, I was rooting for them, and I'm glad we got in a good place by the end.
adventurous
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated