I love Alexis Hall's writing, but this one was not for me.
I ended up skimming most of the gaming talk, and even the other parts I struggled to make a connection.

I was a little lost at the beginning of this book, and I think it's because I don't have quite enough gaming knowledge to have known what was going on. I did start to figure things out as the book progressed, and there is a helpful list of gaming terminology/language at the beginning, but I think that the book could still use a little explanation at the beginning about what different things mean.
I thought that the romance between Drew and Kit was sweet, and I did see the conflict building between them at different points. I thought they might spend a little more time resolving the conflict - the ending felt a bit abrupt in some ways, which sort of made it feel like a forced happily ever after. I would have liked to see a little more time spent on the time after they resolved the conflict, but I still had a lot of fun reading this book, especially as I started to figure out what was happening in the gaming portions of it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an advance copy in exchange for an honest review!

Alexis Hall never disappoints! this book was so good! I absolutely loved the characters, and can’t wait for this book to be shared with the world!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. I have read and loved books by Alexis Hall. Unfortunately, this was not that book for me. I do play games online casually so I thought that my level of experience with gaming mixed with my appreciation for the author would translate to me enjoying this book, but it just wasn't there for me. Overall the book was fine? But the level of gaming discussion and terms was just a little too much for me to really immerse myself in and enjoy. The book is still well written and it is obvious that this would be a perfect read for a true experienced gamer. That just was not me.

I read this as an ARC from NetGalley, and I think it’s one of those books that will really click for a specific kind of reader — particularly if you have even a passing familiarity with gaming culture.

This is a very slow burn — and I mean that in both the romantic and emotional development sense. The pacing felt deliberate, like the author really wanted us to sit in the small moments, which worked well for the gentle, first-love vibes. That said, I think readers who prefer more immediate tension or payoff might find it a little too slow at times.

Some other thoughts:
• The subject matter is quite niche. If you don’t know your way around online gaming spaces, you might find yourself a bit adrift.
• The central romance is sweet and earnest, with that kind of tentative, awkward charm that really captures what it feels like to fall for someone for the first time.
• The conflict, when it does arrive, felt a bit forced — like it needed to happen to push the story forward, rather than emerging organically from the characters.
• I wasn’t totally sold on the ending either — it felt a little abrupt, like we needed just one more chapter to settle into the resolution.

Overall, this was a soft and tender story with good intentions and a clear love for its niche, even if it didn’t always land cleanly. If you’re in the mood for a quiet queer romance with a very specific cultural lens, this could be your thing.

This book was definitely written for a specific audience and unfortunately it wasnt for me. I game and have been around people that play MMORPGs but it wasnt enough to get comfortable with all the gaming terms. I appreciate that there was a glossary in the beginning of the book but I quickly got to the point where I just didn't want to go back to see what the characters were actually doing. Because of that I DNF'd at 25%. I think if you've gamed in the MMO space you can definitely find an enjoyable story here but I wouldn't recommend this to the non-gamer.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was so excited to receive an advance reader copy of this!

This book first intrigued me because of its nerdy MMORPG romance premise, but what I ultimately enjoyed the most was the really sweet love story between Drew and Kit. You've gotta love a couple that really fights for—not to mention fights side by side with!—each other.

In 'Looking For Group,' we meet Drew, who's searching for a new guild to play with in a 'massively multiplayer online role-playing game' (MMORPG) called Heroes of Legend. The guild he ends up joining is friendlier and more team-oriented than his last, and most importantly it has Solace, a very pretty healer girl who Drew nearly instantly develops a crush on. But after the two start almost-flirting within the magical fantasy world of the game, Drew learns that Solace isn't a pretty gamer girl on the other side of the screen, she's a boy. A boy named a Kit. And Kit just so happens to go to the university down the road. And most interestingly: despite Kit turning out to not be a girl, Drew still has a crush on him.

But as the two of them tentatively start to date, they find that they have very different views on their online gaming habits. While Drew prides himself on having a life outside of gaming—friends in his courses, a sport he plays, and so on—Kit is at peace with the idea that his main social circle is his Heroes of Legend guild. Drew is not. Which turns out to be a much trickier boss to beat than a foul demon in some magical realm. Can the two of them figure out how to be together without either of them having to change how they wish to interact with the world, be it online or offline?

This book is packed full with gaming terminology and literally starts with a glossary of terms, which was very helpful. I found that I didn't need to remember every single term in order to appreciate the highs and lows of the guild's online battles, but if you have at least some experience with gaming, you'll probably enjoy it more. I also would have liked to see a little more of Drew coming to terms with the fact that he suddenly wanted to be together with a boy, when he'd only ever been with girls before. It wasn't supposed to be the main conflict of the book, but it was a very interesting shift that felt a little under-explored. And I may be biased as someone who's spent a lot of time online and have made many friends on the Internet, but when Drew made statements about how their fellow guild members couldn't be their 'real friends' because they were 'just online,' I went a bit: 'Really? There are people who actually think that way?'

All in all, though, this was an enjoyable read with fun characters and a very rich, very interesting setting. And the romance really was immensely sweet! I was smiling through all their interactions as they got closer and closer with each other. A very endearing love story with a very satisfying ending!

This is actually my first book by this popular author, and I feel like that’s a terrible mistake on my part. There ultimately wasn’t much that appealed to me about this book, though I can and do appreciate the obvious talent of Hall. While I do know some people who are into MMORPG, I don’t know the terminology (and honestly was too lazy to consult the included glossary each time I got lost) and I think that really ruined me for this story. I love the premise and I liked the characters, but I just couldn’t relate.

I’d forgotten I’d requested this from Netgalley, and was about to send it back as I’m a bit pushed for time right now. But…I started (re)reading it and before I knew it I was completely immersed.
Now, this really ought not be a book for me. Much of it is set within a MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role Playing Game for the noobs out there) a variety of online space into which I have never ventured. The main character Drew, and his love interest, are both nineteen, which is younger than my actual children. But—I loved this book a lot the first time I read it, and just as much this time around. It’s the sweetest romance, exploring the nature of friendship and attraction as Drew grapples with his ideas about the validity of online relationships. I very much enjoyed the fictional online spaces (the fictional fictional spaces? The meta fictional spaces?) especially Alexis Hall’s loving descriptions of in-game landscapes. And the guild members are are great gang of personalities, who we get to know solely through the chat within the game.
So I do recommend it, even if you’ve never played a video game in your life—it’s a delightful story of first love, working out who you are, who your friends are, and what really matters. While raiding with your guildies and pwning your enemy.
(The author annotations in this new edition were fascinating too, I found it surprising the number of references that *hadn’t* actually dated.)

a love letter to gamers written by a gamer. absolute banger. every terrible gaming romance i’ve read has been worth it for this glorious moment.

this book was a nonstop nostalgia ride. i spent as much time with the characters as i did remembering chambers of xeric runs at 2 a.m., clan nights in the god wars dungeon, and vc banter about randos during barbarian assault. as usual, alexis hall managed to wrap the exploration of thought-provoking topics—such as the legitimacy (or lack thereof) we assign to online friendships and spaces—inside of a whimsical plot

given the extremely-significant-to-an-extent-i-cannot-overemphasize focus on mmorpg gameplay, this book is not for everyone. in fact, it’s probably not for most people. but it sure as hell was for me.

shoutout to netgalley and sourcebooks casablanca for the arc. shoutout to the full cast of audiobook narrators for bringing this story to life in such a vivid way. shoutout to alexis hall for writing the mmorpg story of my dreams.

A very sweet, very nerdy book. I've never played an MMORPG, so I very much appreciated the glossary and referred to it frequently.

This is a book about two people finding each other inside of a game, learning that they're in the same town, and navigating the difference between the game and physical space, while also having their very first real relationship. The main character of this book is 19, and the conflict he has is very new adult. I would be annoyed, but he's just trying to figure out how much to let others perceptions of him color his actions and that's very relatable.

I really enjoyed this. And it kind of made me want to play video games.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

🎮 Book Review: Looking for Group by Alexis Hall

If you’ve ever fallen in love in a video game—or just spent way too many hours fishing in a magical realm while avoiding real-life responsibilities—Looking for Group will feel like a warm hug from your favourite guildmate.

Alexis Hall’s novel is a love letter to MMORPGs, awkward college boys, and the messy, beautiful process of figuring yourself out. Our protagonist Drew is a “cool nerd” (yes, that’s a thing) who ditches his loot-hungry guild for a new crew led by Solace, a whip-smart healer played by Kit. Cue the late-night quests, flirty chat logs, and a slow-burn romance that’s equal parts adorable and emotionally resonant.

💘 What works:

Drew and Kit are painfully endearing. Like, I want to wrap them in bubble wrap and protect them from the world levels of sweet.

The book doesn’t shy away from the complexities of online identity, queerness, and what it means to connect in digital spaces.

🧙 What might not work (unless you’re a total nerd):

A lot of the story unfolds inside the game Heroes of Legend, and if you don’t speak fluent MMORPG, you might feel like you’ve wandered into a LAN party uninvited. How I was feeling because this book besites only dabbles in a little DND.

The romance sometimes takes a backseat to guild drama and game mechanics—but honestly, that’s kind of the point.

☕ Final thoughts: This isn’t just a romance—it’s a celebration of connection in all its forms. Whether it’s fishing in-game or awkward Starbucks dates IRL, Drew and Kit’s journey is tender, geeky, and full of heart. If you’re into queer love stories with big nerd energy, Looking for Group is your next quest.

I very much enjoyed this quick cozy read! If you are in-between campaigns and are craving that DnD dynamic with some fun tension or simply want a nice nerdy read I would highly recommend checking this book out.

So for about 75% I was absolutely in love with this book. I've been looking for a book like this for a while and now I finally found it. It's like a love letter to MMO(RPG)s - specifically WoW, and while I never got into that game in particular, some things are universally applicable in that niche of the gaming world.
If you ever played an MMO, you'll be laughing a lot because the situations, interactions and experiences are absolutely spot on and it brought up so many happy and wonderful memories that I felt almost nostalgic. Especially the ingame intimacy was incredibly well done, and overall it reflected many of the great (and hilarious) experiences I've made in online games.
There's also tons of references to all sorts of other games and franchises, including books, movies, series and memes.

All that probably also means that if you've never played an MMO, you'll probably be super confused by 90% of what's going on. There's a glossary explaining most terms and abbreviations (with the most incredible and REAL describtions and definitions) but aside from the fact that having to check the glossary every sentence is a hassle (especially in ebooks) even I wasn't entirely sure what was going on at parts. For example, the characters aren't really introduced, and everyone has a RL and an ingame name (and sometimes two ingame names) so figuring out who is who is... really hard, especially with the chat logs format.
(there were also several formatting mistakes, on that note)
So... I'm not sure how much fun this book is for people who don't play. Probably not much fun at all.

What really bothered me about the book was the main conflict. I have some personal issues with the topics of whether ingame relationships are as valid/important as RL ones, game addiction, what's "real" and what isn't, and so on, and it brought up some really bad memories for me. That aside, I felt like it was really sloppily executed. The entire resolution was rushed and didn't feel real or profound, and while of course a book doesn't necessarily have to be either, in this case it really bothered me. It also made me realize that I really dislike basically all of the characters - who don't have much personality or depth, or at least seem lacking in both because of the rushed ending. I'm also a bit sad that it had only one POV character - I feel like there was a lot of potiential in the protagonist's love interest who would have made a good second POV character. Having his thoughts accessible first hand would probably also have lead to the conflict and issues being discussed more in depth and more seriously, rather than quickly flitted over and easily brushed aside.

Ultimately, I don't like this book because of it's plot or it's characters, I like it because it's an ode to gaming and captures a lot of what makes MMOs so dear to me.

I read the original version of this, long enough ago that I'd forgotten about it and thought this was an entirely new book. Which made me slightly disappointed that I spent money preordering the Audible version, but c'est la guerre. At any rate, I got approved on NG for it yesterday (having forgotten I requested it there—I'm a bit scattered right now; sue me) and figured I'd dive back in and see how it held up.

Reader, I loved it.

I'm a huge AH fan but have been disappointed a time or two, so the degree to which I felt wrapped up in cozy flannel by this story was a treat. I'm not a gamer (though I did live with a version of one for a while), and I had no difficulty following the action and the emotional journey through this story. I even found myself highlighting passages I particularly loved, which I rarely bother to do. Overall, this was a joy to revisit.

My thanks to the publisher/NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book.

This was a super sweet MM romance!! If you’re looking for a romance with something different I recommend this. It focuses a lot on gaming and RPG games too so if you’re a nerd like me you’ll love this

Now THIS is cuuuute (and also really funny).

Drew is a gamer. He plays an MMORPG and has just joined a new guild after a falling out with his longtime crew. He forms a crush on another member and they spend a while flirting in-game ... until Drew realizes that Solace the Hottie Elf is actually Kit (another BOY). Drew has never questioned his sexuality before, but he really likes Solace, so he figures, "Why not go on one date and see...?" No surprise for a romance novel, they hit it off. But Drew is worried that he's spending too much time online, and inadvertently starts displacing his insecurity onto Kit.

These characters are two traditionally-aged university students, and they feel like it (and not in a bad way!). They're both learning how to be adults and fully-formed humans AND how to be in a relationship. I loved Kit's age-appropriate self-possession and Drew's confusion about oh-so-many things.

The book is written in the third person but from a tight single POV, Drew's. Like most Alexis Hall books, it's HILARIOUS, but also feels really authentic - as in, Drew felt like he could really be the sweetest, most confused, most open-minded college student trying to figure out life.

Do note that the book is HEAVY on the MMORPG culture and vocab; there's a glossary that I needed to consult (and honestly, I still didn't understand whole sections of the dialogue while the guild is raiding). There are also dozens of gaming in-jokes that I 95% did not get. But I still had a great time reading it!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novel.

Did not finish book. Stopped at 10%.
I just picked this based on author and had no idea what I was getting in to. I didn't realize it was written in gaming chats w specific lingo. I'm a casual gamer but never mmorpg. I think this one is fun for a specific audience but just not for me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Alexis Hall's books are always fun and even when they miss the mark are still enjoyable. This YA novel about gamers only missed the mark for me because, I think, at least to this non-gamer, the raids could get a little repetitive. Still, I enjoyed Drew's very new-adult (he's 19) journey toward understanding more about himself and what he wants from life. There's no insight into Kit other than what he says out loud, and I think that some of the raids could've been curtailed to get a little more about Kit.

Drew is a well-rounded guy: he plays sports, hits the pub with his friends, goes to uni, and plays video games. But he's not one of those people who their whole life is video games. That is, until he starts flirting in-game with a cute elf, and seems to want to spend every moment online. When Drew learns that his paramour is actually a man using a woman's avatar, he discovers that he may not care about the gender of his partner, after all. The bigger problem is Kit's reclusive nature and reluctance to venture offline, into the real world.

I really, really wanted to love this book. I love Alexis Hall, I loved the premise and the cover and the blurb--I was primed to enjoy it. But... it was SO hard to get into. I tried, but I ended up DNFing this one maybe 20% in? The main issue is that so much of the book is in-game. Which, I don't mind an epistolary romance--in fact, I love them. I had bigger problems with the lengthy gaming segments over which I had no interest and limited knowledge. Unless you're a huge gamer, I can't imagine being able to follow and become engrossed in this book. I kept hoping I would finally make it to the "real world" part but lost interest before I did.

Thanks to Sourcebooks for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

2 stars - 4/10