A sweet and affirming YA coming of age story with wonderful plus sized, anxiety and LGBTQIA+ representation.

I expected more of this book due to all the praise I saw online. I can see though that I am just not the primary target group - I'm neither Armican nor do I enjoy RPG/ D&D type games. It was quick and the writing was readable.

A really sweet read with a lot of lovely content of hollis finding herself, this made it feel slightly less of a romance but I still enjoyed the romance aspect of it too. Absolutely loved the plus sized representation and the fact it was the stereotypical “curvy”, this was the perfect nerdy and sweet read

“When we can look at things in a different way, sometimes the things that would usually frighten us seem a little less frightening. The game can give us a safe space, with safe people, to explore parts of ourselves we might not be comfortable with in the real world. Sometimes, it’s easier to find your truth when you’re just trying it on for size first, without the pressure of having to make a big, sweeping change.”

This review is not spoiler free

I really, really loved this book, it was so beautifully wholesome and really touching. The found family element of the S&S party just filled me with so much joy and warmth!! They were all incredibly welcoming and supportive of each other, even though some of them had prior connections to each other whether they’re related or friends beforehand, that didn’t stop them from opening up their circle and welcoming each of the other girls with open arms. I loved getting to see Hollis face down her own anxiety and create friendships with people who actually loved and understood her, and not just a group she was comfortable with, though they treated her awfully, because it was familiar and what she’d always deemed friendship to be.

I really loved Hollis, she was such a sweet protagonist and I really felt for her with her struggles with her anxiety. I hated the way that Landon treated her (I wanted to sucker punch him in the face) and I hated the way that Chris, her boyfriend and supposed best friend, just stood by and never really did much, just let her be the butt of the jokes and be excluded when she was trying so hard to take an interest in something so important to him. I loved watching her grow throughout the book and find her confidence and find her true friend group in the girls. I have never really played much D&D (because our games never last), but I understand how Hollis feels about gaining confidence and being able to express herself by being someone else/it being a positive outlet as that is the way that I feel about cosplaying and one of the reasons that I enjoy it so much. It was really empowering to see her gain confidence in herself and be who she wanted to be through the games and apply it to her real life too.

Iffy was absolutely my favourite character and I loved her so much! Every time Landon said something about her, I wanted to come slap him in the face. I really adored her and Holiis’ friendship and it gave me sm joy when Hollis started seeking her out at school, and when Hollis finally split things off with Chris and left the boys’ group, Iffy wouldn’t entertain Hollis sitting alone for a second and immediately invited her over to her table. I loved how supportive and understanding she was, I loved how strong she was, I loved the character she played in their games and the person she was outside of them. And I loved how her being trans was mentioned, but not made a big deal of (except by Landon, but he’s an asshole so screw him).

I absolutely adored all of the girls in Gloria’s games and I loved their dynamics so much! Seeing them all interact and become the best of friends just really warmed my heart and gave me so much joy! I just loved everything about all of them!!
I really loved the way that, during the games, it was told like part of the story and I got really invested in them, to the point that I was absolutely sobbing my heart out when Aini’s character died. BOY that broke me.

My favourite aspect of the book was definitely the friendships and found family between the girls, they all supported each other in their times of need, and found common ground even though they were all vastly different people. I loved the world they’d created within their games and how they all got to express themselves through their characters. I loved when they dressed up as their characters for Halloween and did their little picture outing and game – that was so sweet! I also really loved the gradual development of the relationship between Hollis and Aini’s characters and how that built into their real life flirting and relationship themselves. I really truly adored how Aini didn’t pressure Hollis to figure out her identity and what label fits her, that she cared more about Hollis actually having feelings for her than what she identified as, which was just so sweet! People do put too much pressure on labels which can be confusing when you’re just figuring yourself out, so it was nice that Hollis wasn’t pressured to immediately find a new label for herself.

All in all, I absolutely adored this book – it made me laugh, it made me sob, it filled me with so many warm fuzzy feelings. It was just truly beautiful.

A great queer YA romcom debut that tackles mental health (anxiety, panic attacks and depression), toxic masculinity, fatmisia, transphobia and more

This book was a joy to read! I gave it 4 stars simply because I felt that it didn’t need the page count it had. The things I loved the most about this book though were - The fat rep and queer rep was great. I loved that the characters were mostly unapologetically themselves within their friend group and they actively helped each other navigate insecurities and challenges. It was a positive show of what a friend group can be. The plot was good too… I enjoyed being able to follow the friends while meeting and also watching their individual relationships grow. I would love to read more from this author following more from the perspectives of different people in the friend group. I felt the experience of the main character in the beginning of the book was good to include as it is an experience that has manifested for many fat bodies at every age. I appreciated the portrayal of how fatphobia can manifest… although did feel that it could have been explored more. Definitely recommend this book and will be including it in future videos on my YouTube channel as I really hope lots of people read this!

3.5

This was veryyy cute, and very much a story of our main character finding herself, which is always lovely to see especially within a YA novel. However, I found that so much of this story revolved around the tabletop roleplaying game that I found myself feeling less connected to the characters in their real lives, because we kept going for ages into the fictional world (within the fictional world). I just found it difficult to feel that invested in Hollis and her journey, when we kept switching over to the roleplaying game. But this is a really wonderful YA contemporary in the confidence it shows Hollis developing, and the power of female friendship (especially in the face of idiotic loser boyfriends). Nerdy joyfulness is on full display in this book, which I do love to see even if I wish the roleplaying game had had a slightly lesser role.

I want to thank Netgalley for the arc of this book, this has had no influence on my opinion.

Let’s begin with the fact this was my most anticipated release of the year and I was extremely happy when I got a netgalley arc.

This book embodies what a love about DnD SO good. Exploring yourself via TTRPG has been a vital part of my own journey and I loved seeing it in a book. I also really enjoyed reading about Hollis’ party and seeing the similarities between the struggles the girls went trough in real life mirrored their struggles in game.

I however do think it might be a bit complicated to understand S&S (this books version of DnD) if you are not familiar with the game. But if you are a lover of any TTRPG I would absolutely recommend it, and otherwise, please give it a shot!!

I loved it SO much and this is an absolute all time favourite.

This is the book I needed when I was in high school. I am so pleased to have found it as an adult.

After not being allowed to join her boyfriend's S&S (think D&D) group, 17 year old Hollis goes on a quest to find a new group to learn more about the game that's a big part of her boyfriend's life. Hollis isn't allowed to be in her boyfriend's group - due to the group's No Girlfriend rule - but Hollis thinks if she can prove she knows the game well enough, they might relax the rules. Enter Hollis' new group, who take her under their wing and help her learn to play for herself and not her boyfriend.

I honestly feel this book was just... written for me, actually? I identified so much with Hollis and all her struggles as a fat, queer, nerdy, anxious person. My heart broke for her and the struggles she encountered at the start of the book but I felt so giddy and warm inside as I saw how she grew and developed with her new group of friends. I loved all the TTRPG elements in the book especially as someone who always wanted to get involved in that scene but like Hollis, had never found her people to do that with. I still haven't found my people but Hollis' story has given me hope that one day I will.

The romance was heartwarming, as was the coming-of-age, and the whole thing was just a wholesome experience. I loved the mixed media in the texts and discord chats, as well as all the wonderful representation that was presented with obvious care and respect.

I will be rereading this one for a long time to come. 5 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC.

Thank you to Netgalley and Pushkin Press for this ARC of ‘The No-Girlfriend Rule’ by Christen Randall.

This was a very enjoyable read. As everyone already knows I love a sapphic romance. This was sweet and easy to read. The anxiety topic was very well handled also. Definitely reccomend giving this a read.

This book was such a joy to read. It was so geeky and queer and perfect. I enjoyed the relationship between Aini and Hollis (and Umber and Honeria) so much. It was such a cute relationship. I also really liked how the mental health issues Hollis faced were approached in this book. It felt really genuine and realistic. As someone who suffers from anxiety myself, I was satisfied with it.

I loved how the book revolved so much around the game. The way the story of their roleplaying was played out almost parallel to their own story. I will tell you now, I cared just as much about their campaign as I did about everything else in the book. I didn’t think I would get so into it, thinking it was just a prop for the real relationships, but actually it wasn’t at it, it was just as much an important part of the story as everything else.

I know some people don’t like cheating, so fair warning although there’s nothing official, Aini and Hollis start getting close to each other before Hollis ditches Chris. I didn’t care about this because Chris and his whole friend group were absolute jerks, but I know some people would feel differently.

Honestly to me this book was perfect, it was a nice romance that I could read between heavier books. It absolutely hit the spot.

This book was so cute, combining queer romance with a fantasy tabletop roleplay game, we follow Hollis Beckwith, an anxious teen who is trying to figure out and navigate her senior year whilst proving to her boyfriend she's a worthy player good enough to join his team. She stumbles upon an all girls game and finds herself blossoming into her newfound confidence, making friends for life and opening up to a love where she's actually treated with the respect she deserves.

A heart-warming YA novel with a decent amount of rep, the first half is a little slow but picks up in the second half!

Thank you to Pushkin Press for accepting me for an ARC

Hollis Beckwith is just your typical, angsty, plus-size teen trying to navigate her way through senior year and maintain her relationship with boyfriend, Chris. Chris is your typical, nerdy lad who has a day dedicated for playing Secrets & Sorcery with his friends. However, there is just one rule - no girlfriends allowed! Their relationship isn't particularly flirty, but they are comfortable. But Hollis didn't want to just settle for 'comfortable', she wished to prove herself worthy to him by learning how to play Secrets & Sorcery.

After attending a rough game at Games-A-Lot, Hollis was ready to give up and drop everything. Until, she stumbled upon a poster on the wall inviting new members to join an all girls group. This could be her chance! Hollis found herself playing as a paladin called Honoria. Her newfound confidence shone, the more she played with these girls, little did she know that something very special was about to happen...

I jumped at the chance to sign up to this book tour and boy, this did not disappoint! Not my usual kind of read, but it was one I could not put down. I loved the snippets of mixed media added throughout the book, showing the reader a glimpse of the characters Discord chat, as well as a few text messages too. Being new to the table-top roleplaying game world, I didn't find it too overwhelming and before I knew it was I was completely absorbed into the fantasy world the characters had created. I loved the relationships that were being made and the journey of self discovery for our main character Hollis. The ending was just *chefs kiss* and it really got me in my feels! I would definitely check the trigger warnings for this book before picking it up due to references of anxiety, panic attacks, transphobia and more...

This is a very sweet YA following Hollis as she sets out on adventures to uncharted realms with a band of tabletop role play gaming girls - learning as much about herself as she does the character she’s adopted.
There’s a lot of dungeons and dragons style gaming described in the book, which personally wasn’t really for me, but the characterisation of the cast of characters was brilliant, and you can’t help but fall in love with them right alongside Hollis.

This book was so cute, combining queer romance with a fantasy tabletop roleplay game, we follow Hollis Beckwith, an anxious teen who is trying to figure out and navigate her senior year whilst proving to her boyfriend she's a worthy player good enough to join his team. She stumbles upon an all girls game and finds herself blossoming into her newfound confidence, making friends for life and opening up to a love where she's actually treated with the respect she deserves.

A heart-warming YA novel with a decent amount of rep, the first half is a little slow but picks up in the second half!

Thank you to Pushkin Press for accepting me for an ARC <3

The most adorable, nerdy, heartwarming hug of a book! I absolutely fell in love with Hollis from the start, she was so relatable, and the rest of the girl gang were an absolute delight. The romance was an adorable friends-to-lovers arc, the friends were all incredibly well-realised and felt like real people, and the S&S campaign storyline was really enjoyable too. Overall, an absolute delight of a book, and I can't wait to read what Christen Randall writes next!

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review!

4.5⭐

I picked this book due to the LGBTQ+ representation and TTRPG aspects. It did not disappoint! The game descriptions were nerdy and fun, they got me immersed in the storyline and made me more curious about role-playing. The only downside was that some parts got a bit slow and lengthy around the middle of the book.

The focus was not on the romance side - the mental health and self-development discussion was the main part, being kind but powerful. I really enjoyed following the main character's journey towards making changes. The novel is also sprinkled with some great quotes and details, it's totally worth checking it out.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'The No-Girlfriend Rule' by Christen Randall.

'The No-Girlfriend Rule' is a powerful and energetic contemporary romance. It involves Dungeons & Dungeons as quite a important plot and honestly, as someone who doesn't know anything about D&D, I could still read the scenes and enjoy it without any knowledge and I liked that. Our protagonist is honestly such a sweetheart and I was so attached to her. Overall, a nice sweet little story.

Usually I know if and how much I'm going to enjoy a book in the first half (and maybe even sooner). This time, I wasn't quite convinced by the first half of the book, because I felt like it focused too much on the DnD gameplay (S&S in the book), and not enough on the actual characters and plot. I've never played DnD and it all just felt like a LOT to me and I wasn't super interested. I also found it a little hard to read because Hollis, who's fat, anxious, confused about her sexuality and has self-esteem issues, hit very close to home for me and it was like reading about my own teenaged self. In the second half though, this book completely won me over, which made me raise my 3 star rating to a solid 4 stars. It was amazing to see Hollis come into her own and start being happier and standing up for herself and making so many amazing new friends. I still just wouldn't have needed so much detailed gameplay described, but I loved Hollis so much and found her so relatable. I loved the fat rep and especially the anxiety rep, and I loved that Hollis doesn't land on a label because it's all just words in the end and you don't have to know everything about yourself immediately.

Thank you Netgalley and Pushkin Press for this ARC.

When I first started this book, I didn't expected to like it that much. I recognized myself so hard in Hollis and sometimes that was really heartbreaking. It was really nice that we saw so much details of the S&S game and gosh I love that friendgroup (I'm jealous, I want to be part of that group). It was a fast read and i couldn't put it down so that is reallyyyyy good!! I'm excited to read more books from this author