Role Playing

  Discovered this on a whim with my Kindle Unlimited subscription. You can get the audiobook with your membership too and read along with the voices!

Overall I liked the story and the concept. The characters were nuanced and not perfect, but also believable and relatable at times.

I had issues with the latter half of the book when we find more about Aiden. I felt like certain things were rushed when they necessarily shouldn't be, especially given the circumstances. I think I would have liked to see Aiden and Maggie get together sooner but have more time in the story to let their relationship grow. 
 

Overall, I very much enjoyed this one. It did drag just a little in the middle. The issues with Aidan's family genuinely made me angry, but the MCs' reactions (especially Maggie) aligned with what I would have liked to say in the situations, which almost never happens. (I do wish Sheryl had been punched honestly. It would have been cathartic.) I also wish we'd gotten at least a hint about his family situation in the epilogue, even if he no longer has a relationship with any of them; it's such a big plot point, and it's left feeling slightly unresolved. Other than that, my complaints are nitpicky.  

This was soo sweet and satisfying and funny! I loved these characters figuring each other out and also helping each other figure themselves out–especially Maggie telling Aiden she learned about demisexuality from reading romance novels. Meta representational win!

And I LOVED that it's a romance novel set in a small town where these 2 misfits who don't belong in the small town...fuck off and move to Seattle at the end! Hell yeah

This was the definition of a cosy read and I'm happy I've picked it up.

I loved that this is about an older and geek couple falling in love (50s), that they are both introverts and that the story included much more issues than the romance.

I have a preference for friends to lovers because of how much more real everything feels, and in this case it was specially relevant as the MMC is demi.

I've found it a bit slow paced, and I would probably have excluded some of the final issues that felt unfinished. However, not everything in life has a solution, and this way it mimics more what would be the reality.

Overall, it was a beautiful love story, full of kindness, acceptance and companionship. I absolutely recommend it to all romance readers.

3.5 stars rounded up

Cozy, feel good, friends-to-lovers romance that centers around identifying and demanding the love and acceptance you deserve.

Online gaming is part of the plot but it's definitely approachable for readers who aren't familiar with that. There's gaming references throughout but it's much more focused on the relationships between the characters.

I'd recommend it to anyone looking for a sweet, slow burn romance. Also for people who daydream of having the perfect comeback in an argument because this book is full of those kind of satisfying moments.