by Cathy Yardley
ASIN/ISBN: 9781662503979
Publication: July 1, 2023

**I received a copy of the book through NetGalley. I voluntarily read and reviewed it. All opinions are my own. A special thanks to the author as well for hearing my prayers and allowing me access.**

Role Playing is one of my top contemporary romances this year. Yardley completely exceeded my expectations, and I couldn’t be more excited that this gamer romance is now out there for the world to enjoy.

Maggie may be anti-social and grumpy, but she is unapologetically herself. She does not care what people think of her, and she vehemently protects those she cares about. She is my favorite part of the entire book. I want to be confident enough to be like her one day.

Aiden is wonderful. He is a cinnamon roll worthy of Maggie with his thoughtfulness. At times, I did wish he was more willing to stand up for himself, but his growth comes with Maggie’s influence. They are both (mostly…heh) positive influences on each other, and I loved them together. Their online friendship believably transitioned into a real-life one, stumbling blocks and all.

I may have been a little hesitant about their misunderstanding of each other’s age. How could Aiden think Maggie was in her golden years? Why would Maggie think Aiden was still practically a kid–okay, okay in his late teens/early twenties? Yardley executed this extremely well with a believable explanation–I don’t know why I was worried in the first place. There is also a lot of buildup to their first IRL meeting, and Yardley nailed it. It’s one of my favorite parts of the novel.

If you’re a fan of grumpy/sunshine and romances between mature characters, this is one you need to read. If you’re worried about whether you need to be a gamer or a fan of gaming, don’t be. It won’t prevent you from enjoying the book if you are not and is a plus if you are. I loved Role Playing and have been rereading my favorite parts. This one is already becoming a comfort read.