Book Review: Role Playing by Cathy Yardley

Thank you to the author for my Advanced Reader’s Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Cathy Yardley is now an auto-buy author for me. I adore her Ponto Beach Reunion series, so when I learned her next book would be about a forty-something in love, I was all in!

Role Playing is a grumpy-sunshine romance trope with a lot of heart, and it addresses serious topics like sexuality, acceptance, and divorce. This book felt like a departure from my prior Yardley reads, but I loved it nonetheless.

About Role Playing by Cathy Yardley

Maggie is in her late forties and a self-proclaimed hermit. She’s fine with her lifestyle of freelance editing and playing online video games, but once her done moves to college, there’s a hole in Maggie’s life. When she learns that her son is struggling to make the most of his college experience, she begrudgingly makes a deal with him to be more social as well.

Aiden is in his fifties and a perpetual optimist, despite dealing with his cranky and bigoted mother and his brother who avoids all difficult conversations (and married Aiden’s ex-girlfriend, by the way). He moved back to Fool’s Falls to take care of his dad in the end stages of cancer and never left, but now he’s determined to make sure his mom is well taken care of as she ages. His mom has different ideas, though, and those include ensuring that Aiden finds a woman to date.

By a fluke of online gaming, Maggie and Aiden meet and become fast friends, but there’s obviously more to their chemistry. Will they both be able to address their pasts to start a future together?

What I Enjoyed About Role Playing by Cathy Yardley

• The Characters – Maggie and Aiden are adorable. Both are quirky and unique, and they complement each other in special ways. They side characters of Role Playing, especially the eager-to-please Deb and other townspeople, are entertaining as well.
• The Representation – Role Playing explores bisexuality and demi-sexuality, and how harmful repressing one’s sexuality is to mental health. The characters face issues of acceptance from family and friends as well, and I thought all of these topics were handled in a careful, thoughtful way.
• The Love Story – I am on a contemporary romance trend right now, and Role Playing fit right in. Ms. Yardley writes a great love story that includes the tropes without being trite, which I appreciate!

Role Playing will be released on July 1, 2023, and it’s available now for June’s Amazon First Reads! I encourage you to check it out!