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.

A lot of fun, but not without heavy subject matter. Both MCs are really likable, in their own ways, but they’re by no means perfect. Very engaging and a quick read.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

I can say I absolutely adored this beautiful done slow burn! I LOVED that Maggie and Aidan are older. As someone who is mid thirties I really struggle to connect with characters that are so young. With this book I loved how real and honest these two were. Also give me all the grumpy heroines please and thank you!!! Also with a side of cinnamon role heroes!!! This was so good and I would defiantly recommend this for someone who is a slightly older reader and wants to connect with the main characters with ease.

Let’s just start off to collectively appreciate some romance featuring middle aged characters and not some barely twenty-one. This was a refreshing change of pace.

Aiden and Maggie are so incredibly sweet. Maggie truly has the “could not care less” attitude down and that scene that she stands up for Aiden? Golden, forget the I’ll kill for you main dudes- I need more female characters portrayed this way. This was an incredibly slow burn, seriously they don’t meet in person until just about 40%. Which also leads me to say that despite that, the connection the build from online up to that point is pure and genuine. The bisexual and demisexual inclusion was quite the surprise and I’m so glad when authors make the decision to not only include it but also have the character you aren’t expecting to identify. Let’s keep up with the mental health and more diverse sexuality representation for our male characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my advanced digital copy.

Loved this book! Loved the characters! Loved the story! It took me a couple weeks to finish it because life has been crazy. I never lost interest. I’m definitely glad I read this author and plan to read more in the future.


I voluntarily read an early copy.

not only cute this also gives off a very heartwarming vibes. the relationship between two main characters are healthy and had an open communication with each other. it was a little slow at the beginning but you’ll love each page of it.

I LOVED this book so much. This is a new to me author and I will be looking out for more of her work.
Even though I haven’t played a video game since the Super Nintendo in the 1990’s, I found the gamer theme engrossing.
The two main characters were well developed and it was a pleasure to unravel their layers throughout the story.
But my favourite element of this book was the friendship turning into a romantic relationship. The way each character grew to discover how they felt about the other was both filled with tension, but also so natural. Finally, it delivered a thoroughly satisfying and well deserved happy ending.

I really loved the in person relationship Maggie and Aiden had! The first half of the book was very slow for me, until they finally had their face to face meet around 43% after that it really took off and I loved it! Their banter was so funny and Maggie really seemed to component Aiden’s personality! Opposites in the best way and she really helped him grow! I really hated how Aiden’s family treated him, the way they didn’t accept him and how phobic they were really just made me wanna throw my kindle.
I love how the story ended and the epilogue was honestly the perfect ending!

I really enjoyed this delightfully nerdy yet realistic and sweet story by Cathy Yardley. It was refreshing to read about older main characters and I appreciated that their beginning conflict didn't last throughout the whole book. Looking forward to more from Yardley!

I will start this by saying whoever has shit to say about Aiden or Maggie has to go through me first, got it? Aiden has been through enough, is he a fictional character? Yes. Do I still want to protect him with my whole heart? FUCK YES.

This book to me deserves more than 5 stars. I am not the biggest slow burn fan, but this book did the romance just right. I was not bored at all or desperate for them to kiss or confess their feelings cause it was all done at a great pace.

Both Aiden and Maggie are bit of home bodies, both of them find it easier to connect with people online than in real life and I connected with that quickly. They had to meet when they were both ready, and it felt so fucking real. They just were made for each other.

One of my favorite things about this book is everything about Aiden. Loved how he discovers things about himself, how he opens up to each person in his life. To Maggie, to Riley, and to his family.

Things I loved: Aiden, Maggie, Dual POV, the banter, the relationship.

Things I didn't like: I WANTED MORE.

Thank you so much NetGalley for the e-arc for this book.