I went into Role Playing by Cathy Yardley expecting a fun, lighthearted romance. And at first, it seemed like that’s what I was getting. But pretty quickly, the book started to fall flat.

One of the biggest issues is the sheer amount of info-dumping and internal monologue. The same thoughts and emotions are repeated over and over again, to the point where it starts to feel tedious. Instead of moving the plot forward, the book gets stuck in these repetitive cycles of explaining things we already know. It’s exhausting.

Then there’s the heroine. She’s supposed to be grumpy, which, in theory, I love. But she takes it to a whole different level by being outright awful to everyone around her. The book tries to counteract this by having her occasionally compliment another woman’s looks or social skills, but it doesn’t change the fact that she treats every woman she meets like an enemy. 

And, of course, every other woman in the book is written as terrible, too. Why? Why couldn’t we have just one decent female friend for the heroine instead of constantly shoving her into boy clubs? She is not the only woman in the world who plays video games. It’s not a novel concept.

And then there’s her bitterness toward men, which is just… cringey.

Her relationship with her son is also strange. It’s not that I don’t like unconventional mother-child dynamics, but here, they feel more like friends on the same wavelength than a mother and son. I get that she’s supposed to be a cool, laid-back mom, but some of the things she says to him are just weird. And don’t even get me started on her son calling her a thot. Like, seriously?

As for the hero—he’s fine. But he also feels way too much like a character “written by a woman.” He’s hyper-aware of every little social issue, constantly in tune with things that don’t quite fit with his background. And look, I’m all for political correctness and social awareness in books, but when it feels forced—when characters start monologuing about things that have nothing to do with the story—it pulls me right out. It feels less like natural character development and more like the author trying to check a box.

And then there’s the romance itself. I didn’t buy it. It didn’t feel believable or organic. And on top of that, everyone in the hero’s life is just awful. Why? Why is every single side character written to be insufferable?

Oh, and the gaming culture in this book? Feels outdated and not particularly accurate. It’s like the author’s idea of gaming comes from a surface-level understanding rather than actual experience.

So yeah, this one didn’t work for me. It had potential, but between the awkward character dynamics, the forced social commentary, and the romance that just didn’t land, it ended up being more frustrating than enjoyable.