"Role Playing" by Cathy Yardley is an entertaining and unique romantic comedy that exceeded my expectations. The captivating cover art perfectly captures the essence of the story. I was pleasantly surprised by how much I enjoyed the book, not knowing what to expect beforehand. The novel follows Maggie, a freelance editor in her late forties, and Aiden, a retired businessman in his fifties who previously ran a hospice business. The two characters reside in the same town but only cross paths when Maggie joins Aiden's online gaming guild.

The witty and humorous online interactions between Maggie and Aiden were a highlight of the book. Maggie's sarcastic and snappy personality was endearing and charming, while Aiden's bravery, intelligence, loyalty, and humor were equally impressive. Maggie's character development was particularly remarkable as she stepped out of her introverted shell to support Aiden. Both characters underwent significant transformations, and it was heartwarming to see them take care of each other.

The story was well-developed and engaging, keeping me hooked from beginning to end. Yardley did an excellent job of creating a fun and sometimes emotional romance novel that will appeal to a wide range of readers. I am eagerly anticipating reading more books by this author. Overall, "Role Playing" is a delightful rom-com that I would highly recommend.

This is a new-to-me author and now I want to read all the books. I didn’t know what to expect as I’m not a gamer but my kids and husband are, would I connect with these characters? The answer is – instantly! I felt Maggie to my very soul. Then I got to know the huge cinnamon roll that is Aiden and I couldn’t wait for them to meet in person, or IRL.

As much as I was anxious for that first IRL meeting, I am also glad I got to know both Maggie and Aiden separately and in-depth. When there were any misunderstandings between them or with others, it helped me to know where they were coming from. Yet, for the most part, these two got each other on a level few (if any) others did. Definitely not Aiden’s family.

Speaking of Aiden’s family, that’s a whole thing. His mom is terrible and it breaks my heart how much Aiden feels responsible for her and tries to take care of her in such a respectful way. His brother isn’t bad, per se, but he’s quite useless. And the cherry on the sundae of this terrible family is his sister-in-law. The way the situation with her was handled in the past all the way to the present, over 10 years, is despicable. How Aiden still has love left in his heart for any of these people is beyond me. On top of their treatment of him, he somehow felt he deserved it since he wasn’t what they wanted him to be.

Maggie’s family wasn’t better, but she no longer has to deal with them. There are those in town that insert themselves into her life though, and not in a good way. The audacity of some people. Just because you don’t understand someone’s life choices doesn’t mean they are wrong. Maggie is an introvert and does not want to socialize at book clubs or football parties. Not because she’s depressed but because that is not her personality. Let her be!

Once Maggie and Aiden meet in person they click. So much so that Maggie is the person who recognizes that Aiden may be ace or demi and explains those definitions to him. I love that Maggie admits she’s not an expert and that Aiden doesn’t need to have a label, but she wanted to help him understand there is nothing wrong or other about him.

Although there are more now than there used to be, I don’t often come across romances with mature adults. These characters are 48 and 50 years old and I love how this story shows that, even when you have your life together in many ways when it comes to career and goals, it’s never too late to learn more about yourself. In doing so, Maggie and Aiden didn’t have to change who they are. Their relationship brought out the best in both of them and gave them the peace they hadn’t yet found in their personal life.

I didn’t want to put this book down and only did when I had no choice. It is fantastic.

Two gamers meet on line and make assumptions about each other’s ages- he thinks she is an octogenarian and she thinks he is young enough to be her son- only to discover that their favorite member of the guild is nearly the same age they are. There are sparks but are they enough to make the risk worthwhile?

Really cute premise but this not an especially light read. There is a lot going on in Aiden and Maggie’s lives, especially cinnamon roll Aiden who needed to completely change out every person in his life immediately. He was surrounded by the worst people and just keeps giving more and more of himself.

Let me start by proclaiming my deep love for Maggie. She is the exact person I would want in my corner. Funny, protective, and with no f’s to give. If she were real I would be begging her to be my best friend and she would hate that. Neither Maggie or Aiden really feel 50ish. Maybe it is because neither of them is even close to having their stuff together and their struggles feel more like younger years identity building but I appreciated the attempt. The romance was a slow burn which I was all for. They took care of each other and didn’t rush anything. The beginning of the book did feel overly slow and a bit repetitive as the characters were being developed. I wanted things to move on from demonstrating how much Maggie hates social interactions and how terrible Aiden’s mom was. The second half picks up the pace beautifully and Maggie’s fierceness makes up for any other issues.

I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A good read -- I thought the characters were well-developed and I really enjoyed their dynamic/chemistry.

This book is everything I didn't know I needed!
Older characters: check.
Reverse Grumpy/sunshine: check.
Introvert characters: check.
Slow burn: check! They don't meet in person until 38%!
Hilarious first meeting: check!
Steam, banter, heart, tenderness: check, check, check, check!
I couldn't stop smiling while reading about Otter and Bogwitch, it is exactly the kind of story that will leave you feeling happy and content like being snuggled on a couch with a fluffy blanket, a cup of tea and the love of your Life!

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for sending me an arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

This was an enjoyable romance that I didn't want to put down. I loved the main characters and the story was well developed.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher/author for a chance to read this ARC for an exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this book.

Friends to Lovers
Divorced Single Parent/40’s Love
Gamers 🙌🏼
Grumpy FMC/Cinnamon Role Demisexual MMC
Empty Nest/Caring for elderly parent Rep
Family Drama

Fav Quotes:
“Trust me, I get it. Most people drain me like an old cell phone battery. You don’t exhaust me either. I feel better after I hang out with you.”

“Probably shouldn’t have dropped an f-bomb at book club, but there it was.”

Look, I’m 42 and it can be exhausting reading romance after romance about 20 year olds. I’m my quest to find some Gen X romance, a friend recommended this book and I am SO glad I picked it up on @netgalley 🙌🏼. I read it almost completely in one sitting and adored the Mains for their age, maturity, life experiences and rich personalities. Both have had traumatic past relationships and are pegged to certain “roles” within their families and it was a beautiful journey to watch them blossom into a new relationship and phase in their lives.

Thank you to Montlake Publishing and Cathy Yardley for granting me an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

A friends to lovers romance between two Gen X gaming geek introverts? What! This was a romcom I never realized I was missing. I am here for it!

Aiden and Maggie are both major introverts, and would rather stay home and just game–hanging out with people online was always better than IRL.

Otter and Bogwitch meet in a guild and quickly become online friends, despite Aiden thinking Bogwitch (Maggie) is an 80 year old and Maggie thinking Otter (Aiden) is 21. When Aiden gets into an accident (IRL), Maggie volunteers to help him out. And this scene, friends, was just so good! The anticipation!! 😂 Anyway, they're both surprised to realize that they both don't just enjoy each other's company while playing online, but in person as well.

Yes, it's a slow burn but the pacing was done so well. I *loved* how organically their relationship grew. The level of comfort and acceptance they found in each other was just really, really heartwarming, especially since they've both been through so much in life already. I loved that they were such positive influences for each other, too. They just...*get* each other.

I hope you give this one a chance. It's unlike anything I've read in a while, and I enjoyed it a lot.

CW: toxic and difficult family relationships, biphobia, death of a parent (off page), divorce

Oh I loved this book!!
Maggie joins a local online video game guild while she deals with her son leaving to college and living alone in a small town for the first time in years, and befriends the leader of said guild who she starts to regularly text and virtually hang out with. Aiden lives in his hometown after his dad’s death to support his elderly mother, but is dealing with unfair treatment from his family and escapes in his online games and his new friendship with Maggie, who he only knows as Bogwitch.
When these two met in real life I was kicking and screaming! I loved the relationship between Aiden and Maggie, their growing friendship and romance, as well as their personal struggles. This was a very enjoyable and quick read, but also very emotional due to all the very real struggles both these characters face independently.

Read Role Playing for:
- Online friends meeting irl and becoming best friends (and more)
- Grumpy fmc and golden retriever mmc
- Two introverts finding comfort in each other
- Queer representation
- Dual POV!
- Protective partner

content warnings include: biphobia and queerphobia, mention of death of a parent and abandonment

As a 40-something, it was very refreshing to read about a romance between people who are nearly 50, rather than 20-30 years younger! Both Aiden and Maggie were very relatable characters and their friends-to=lovers romance was heartwarming and hopeful.

One thing I could have done without was the chapter titles; they were kind of random phrases that weren't literally mentioned in the text and distracted from the narrative.

I really wanted to love this book. Two middle aged gaming introverts finding love sounds absolutely adorable and I loved the idea of underrepresented main characters. The execution didn’t work for me. The 48 and 50 year olds acted like teenagers, and everyone in their lives treated them like teenagers. They felt awkward, not very likable, and very juvenile.

I enjoyed the banter and the connection they formed before meeting in real life. The thought of two strangers meeting over the internet and forming a friendship over their mutual interests and good conversations rather than physical attributes was refreshing.

There are a lot of side themes that were tossed in in such a way that it felt like a salad with too many toppings. There is asexual/demisexual representation but also bisexual representation, mixed race relationships, some very homophobic and racist characters, mental health issues, and a few other tropes that came out at like 75% through the book and were very quickly glossed over. As soon as one of the characters is done explaining how he doesn’t feel sexual attraction, the couple is performing sexual acts. Maybe with an additional 50 or so pages those issues could have been explored a little more deeply?

I think readers looking for representation in those categories will enjoy this story, especially if they are into the video game scene. Unfortunately this story didn’t connect for me. It was entertaining and I enjoyed the author’s writing style so I will certainly check out more of her books.

I appreciate the advanced copy from the publisher and netgalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

This was an interesting read! So much representation in one novel - older main characters, bi, demi and other sexualities touched on. It was a heartwarming romance as well as a touching story about finding yourself. I love that the epilogue didn’t clarify or tidy up any of Aiden’s family drama either, because it was messy and these things don’t always heal.

It was fun! I liked how the relationship slowly developed between 2 people in their late 40s/early 50s who don’t leave the house much (me lmao) and have very adult problems (not me) like…other people (now ok that’s me) or kids (DEFINITELY not me). Our characters don’t meet before the 38% mark which set up a very slow burn friends-to-lovers that just felt so realistic. It’s still a rom-com, but more grounded into reality, with AMAZING communication! I especially loved Maggie since she stood up for herself and wouldn’t take anyone’s BS. She knows what she wants and needs and honestly, great for her. A quick, fun read, with older characters than usual romance books and a grumpy/sunshine dynamic (Maggie is the grumpy, Aiden, the sunshine). A well-deserved 4 stars.

I loved this! Instead of a love story about a college kid, this one’s about the college kid’s mom. Maggie is 48, a divorced empty nester. She’s also a gamer and decides to get back into gaming by joining an online guild where she meets Aiden, 50, who happens to have his own family difficulties he’s dealing with.

The way their relationship develops is really cute and sweet, developing incrementally and believably. They start out gaming together (I thought the gameplay scenes were really fun), then texting and slowly getting to know one another. The scene where they meet in person for the first time is so adorable and hilarious. Watching them try to reconcile their online personas with their irl selves was super relatable.

The dialogue and banter in this book are great and the family dynamics both MCs had were extremely realistic. Maggie’s relationship with her son is fantastic and I loved their conversations. Aiden’s family scenes were so painful to watch unfold, my heart broke for him.

With Maggie being an Asian woman and Aiden being bi and demisexual, racism, sexism, ageism, and homophobia are all a part of the story to varying degrees. Let me tell you, there are some pretty satisfying scenes in the final 10-15% where Maggie and Aiden stand up for themselves to the toxic people in their lives. (The “hold my earrings” scene was THE BEST 😂)

There were so many interesting discussions between Maggie and Aiden. With the MCs being grown adults just on the other side of their prime years, they talked about the difficulties in dating at their age and all the insecurities that come with that. And Aiden is only just now understanding certain aspects of his sexuality and how they intersected with his previous relationships; it was lovely to see them discuss these past experiences and what it means for him. The scenes where Maggie is gaming online depict what a woman potentially has to deal with in that situation. Even though Maggie has a good experience with the new guild she joins, it’s clear that her past experiences have not been great. Toxicity, misogyny and gatekeeping in the online gaming community are interesting and important topics to bring up and they were woven in well.

I definitely recommend this one if you like your romances with good rep, family drama, and a heaping helping of realism, relatability and humor.

Tropes and other relevant info:
Gamers
Middle age characters
Toxic families
Feminist af
Slow burn
Friends to lovers
Rep: bi, demi, Asian

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4
Two older MCs who are introverts and big video gamers? I couldn’t request this one fast enough!

Maggie Le is an editor who works for herself, makes her own hours and works from home in her secluded home in eastern Washington. Since her son Kit went away for college, she’s been by herself and tasked by him with stepping out of her comfort zone to not become totally anti-social. She loves to play video games and make friends online, which leads her to join a gaming guild made up of people in her town, Fool’s Falls. Maggie dresses frumpy, doesn’t like to do her hair and generally keeps to herself in real life but online, she’s snarky, confident, feisty and doesn’t hold back.

Aiden Bishop is a nurse who sold out of his hospice care business with his best friend to move back to Fool’s Falls to care for his sick father and aging mother. After years of being home, he’s no closer to feeling confident enough in his mother’s abilities to care for herself and finds himself questioning what to do next since he’s not making progress here. He leads the Fool’s Falls gaming guild and loves to play video games to blow off steam. Aiden is a gentle giant and a cinnamon roll hero through and through - he’s unbelievably sweet and caring and just makes you smile whenever he’s on page and being his normal, adorable self.

It kind of drove me a little crazy that Maggie and Aiden didn’t meet in person until 38% into the book - yes, they’d chatted online, but that’s so far into the book before they form any kind of real connection. Once they finally meet in person, they’re friends first, establishing a tentative friendship that revolves around staying in together and playing video games. Maggie helps Aiden learn more about his sexuality and find labels that fit and that makes the sloooooow burn of their relationship make a lot more sense. But Things between them don’t turn from friendship into anything romantic until later in the story than I would have liked. They really do fit together well and help each other to step outside of their comfort zones while also being supportive in so many different situations and embracing each other’s introverted tendencies and habits.

There were a few things that didn't work for me in the story, but I could look past them enough to enjoy Maggie and Aiden more. Here's what they were:
1. Deb and her entire group of 40+ year old mean girls - every time anyone from this group was on the page, I was irrationally angry. Deb and Patience were the worst of them all but I hated their attitude and their insistence that they knew what everyone wanted (i.e. them) was so annoying to read.
2. The infantilization of both Maggie and Aiden by their families - they’re both grown adults with successful jobs and the fact that their families continued to infantilize them at every turn was kind of infuriating. Just because they’re introverts by nature doesn’t mean they need to be treated like children.
3. The lack of resolution of things with Aiden’s family - I understand this story was about Aiden and Maggie, but so much of Aiden’s story revolved around his family and their prejudices and terrible treatment of him because of it. I really wanted some kind of resolution at least with Davy in the end.

Even with those things, I enjoyed the core story of Maggie and Aiden finding each other and falling in love. They were so good together and fun to read since they’re so different than typical romance MCs - would definitely recommend this one for anyone looking for something out of the ordinary for the romance genre!

I loved the representation in this book and its respectful, evocative treatment of sexual orientation.

It’s a slow burn that features a mature couple.

Full review to come on my blog on release day.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book.

Right off the bat, this is my first Cathy Yardley book and I was not disappointed. Also, there is a big ass warning for biphobia. It’s hinted at but making its disgusting confirming reveal.

I would call this a slow burn but not one that makes me want it to finish. Instead, I enjoyed the pace. Their relationship doesn’t develop until late in the story and normally, I’d be pissed to wait so long, but damn it, it was so well done.

There were moments when I wanted to bury my head under blankets because it was so cute and I don’t deal. Aiden Bishop, be still my heart.

I loved the grumpy/sunshine dynamic and it weaved wonderfully through the story. It didn’t feel as if anything was forced between them and I loved that part of their relationship.

There were pop culture references throughout. Some were explained which didn’t make it seem like Yardley was putting them in our faces.

Even though the ending and epilogue felt a little too abrupt for me, I still really enjoyed this book.

Role Playing by Cathy Yardley ticks so many of my boxes. A mixed-race protagonist, a swoon-worthy love interest, geeky references, steamy scenes and most of it, older main characters! I adore the idea of people in their late 40s, early 50s, still enjoying online gaming. I will probably be one of them at some point.

While I do not relate to a lot of Maggie's personality, I was always rooting for her. A likable character, who is angry but good at heart and Aiden is just a wonderful person who deserves everything good in the world.

It's an easy read and Yardley's voice is funny and relatable. I look forward to reading the rest of the catalogue.

**Thank you to NetGalley, the author, & the publisher for a chance to read to & review an ARC of this book!**

Please find my extended feedback below...along with some spoilers (beware).
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Things I Liked:
-The slow build of the relationship between Maggie & Aiden.
-The realistic representation of being an introvert & how Aiden & Maggie supported each other in their introverted ways (without trying to change each other).
-The positive representation of sexuality & of figuring out your sexuality at any age.
-I loved that Aiden & Maggie were both truly themselves (with all their flaws & not "society perfect" figures).
-As sad as it can be, I am happy that this novel portrayed that not all family discussions regarding sexuality are resolved. At the end of the novel, there are unresolved conflicts between Aiden & his family. Sometimes it happens that way & I think it is important to be honest about that possibility.

Things That Didn't Sit Quite Right With Me:
-This is not the author's fault (& these characters were probably written this way to bring up this discussion), but I really disliked Deb, Promise, Sheryl, Davy, & Aiden's mother. They were all so annoying and rude.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book & gave this book 4 stars.