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the_vegan_bookworm's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
relaxing
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? No
4.0
A charming, fun read! It was a fresh take on an enjoyable premise with characters who don't need to change to be loved. I love a prickly FMC who stays prickly and is appreciated for who she is!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexism, Biphobia, Acephobia/Arophobia, Outing, and Sexual content
Minor: Racism
petite_madeline's review
funny
hopeful
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? Yes
3.75
Read this book if you like:
- Black cat / Golden retriever pairings
- Queer representation (Bi/demi)
- Mature characters
- Friends-to-lovers
- Dual POV
Skip this book if you don't like:
- Slow Burn (like really slow)
- Pop culture references
- Third Person narrative
- A smidge of spice
I picked this up because I was excited to see a romance between two mature characters (not your usual 20-somethings). AND they're gamers?! Love!
Overall, I enjoyed this book. It was a fun and easy read. I wish there was more romantic tension spread throughout. Most of that delicious tension happened in the last 1/4 of the book. The mutual pining in the beginning and middle just didn't hit the way I usually like it to. Perhaps that made it more realistic? It did allow for a more natural friendship to bloom first.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content, Acephobia/Arophobia, Outing, and Biphobia
Minor: Death of parent
readbykatherine's review against another edition
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- 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
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Outing
Minor: Injury/Injury detail, Death of parent, Emotional abuse, and Racism
ajalexanderreadsromance's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
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
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Homophobia, and Outing
Moderate: Emotional abuse and Death of parent
Minor: Car accident, Racism, Cancer, Grief, and Acephobia/Arophobia
dreezy's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
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
4.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Outing, and Biphobia
Minor: Acephobia/Arophobia
whichdirection's review against another edition
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
3.0
For being in their 40s/50s almost every character in this book acts like a teenager, not sure if this is meant to be on purpose or not.
Really appreciated the representation of bisexuality & demisexuality, though would have liked more resolution on the plotline concerning them. (Especially given how short the epilogue was)
They were cute, they had chemistry, and once they actually finally met (which took quite a while) the story was good.
Really appreciated the representation of bisexuality & demisexuality, though would have liked more resolution on the plotline concerning them. (Especially given how short the epilogue was)
They were cute, they had chemistry, and once they actually finally met (which took quite a while) the story was good.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Biphobia and Acephobia/Arophobia
libraryghost's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Outing
Minor: Toxic relationship
lacyparrish's review against another edition
5.0
This came out of the summer and had such hype that I was putting it off ... fearing that I wouldn't see what everyone else saw. Boy was I wrong! I want to be Maggie when I grow up (although some might say I'm most of the way there already) ... now I just need to find my Aiden. 😍 Despite the wonderfulness of this novel, there are a lot of heavy topics covered with a deftness and care that you don't often see. Now I'm faced with the inevitable question -- will other offerings from this author hold up to this one?
Content Warnings
Graphic: Toxic relationship, Homophobia, Biphobia, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Gaslighting
deals with an aging parent and those difficult conversations as well as the other content warningscheye13's review against another edition
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
The book fails to deliver its premise. Despite meeting "through the game," there are nearly no scenes of the game, no descriptions of their characters, and no presence of the game in their offline lives. The characters practically meet through mutual friends over email. That being said, many scenes read as "too online." Dialogue grew soap-boxy or wikipedia-like, as if the author was communicating something rather than giving a perspective to a character.
There's a fatal flaw of focusing on the negative at the expense of the positive. All of the side characters are loathesome, creating endless conflict for both leads and edging out the supportive voices in their lives. Maggie's bffs get barely a page each, and Aiden's closest friend isn't even on-page once.
As a simple romance story, it's decent. I appreciate the older characters and the unexpected queerness. I have been begging for a woman!grump/man!sunshine forever, and this does deliver that well enough. But those tropes aren't enough to carry the story for me.
If you're dipping a toe into the romance genre, want to read about older characters, and know next-to-nothing about online communities, you'll probably enjoy this. If you read a lot of romance, have firsthand experience with online communities, and/or picked it up for the RPG angle, you'll likely be disappointed.
There's a fatal flaw of focusing on the negative at the expense of the positive. All of the side characters are loathesome, creating endless conflict for both leads and edging out the supportive voices in their lives. Maggie's bffs get barely a page each, and Aiden's closest friend isn't even on-page once.
As a simple romance story, it's decent. I appreciate the older characters and the unexpected queerness. I have been begging for a woman!grump/man!sunshine forever, and this does deliver that well enough. But those tropes aren't enough to carry the story for me.
If you're dipping a toe into the romance genre, want to read about older characters, and know next-to-nothing about online communities, you'll probably enjoy this. If you read a lot of romance, have firsthand experience with online communities, and/or picked it up for the RPG angle, you'll likely be disappointed.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Outing, Sexual content, Emotional abuse, Acephobia/Arophobia, and Biphobia
Moderate: Homophobia
Minor: Body shaming, Death of parent, Classism, Cancer, and Racism
emotional blackmail, broken bone, toxic masculinityrickireadss's review against another edition
5.0
i LOVE maggie and aiden so much. i want to give aiden the biggest f*cking hug because he put up with way too much from his family. ughhhh they all made me so mad, but especially his brother like how can you just sit there and be so ignorant and oblivious or simply just not give a flying f*ck what your brother is doing and putting up with. like GROW TF UP bro. but omfg, aiden realizing that he's bi and demi?!?!? MY HEART WAS SO FULL. i think this is great rep, it made me cry, and i just loved how they talked about it together. ALL THE FEELS!!!! i loved the gaming aspect of this a LOT and love that that's what brought them together. i think the miscommunication/misunderstandings of each other's true ages was hilarious! i also just loved that they were older MCs, 48f 50m, and actually acted their ages. hands down a great book and i honestly want to reread it again!
⚠️: biphobia, homophobia, outing, emotional abuse, death of parent (cancer), acephoba/arophobia, racism, cancer, grief, misogyny, gaslighting, bullying, death of parents (car accident), religious bigotry
⚠️: biphobia, homophobia, outing, emotional abuse, death of parent (cancer), acephoba/arophobia, racism, cancer, grief, misogyny, gaslighting, bullying, death of parents (car accident), religious bigotry
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death of parent, Biphobia, Homophobia, Emotional abuse, Racism, and Outing
Moderate: Acephobia/Arophobia, Misogyny, Cancer, Grief, and Gaslighting
Minor: Bullying, Religious bigotry, and Car accident