Save vs. attraction.I’m a grown adult, and if I want to play Towers & Tyrants, no one is going to stop me. In fact, I’m going to TowerCon this year to find a game, and Finn O’Roarke has just offered to pop my cherry.Er, my geeky cherry.Wow, that doesn’t sound any better at all. Thank god Finn is a professional. He’s been a celebrity gamemaster for the last few years now. I’m really lucky he … gamemaster for the last few years now. I’m really lucky he offered me a spot at his table—people normally have to sign up months in advance to get a piece of that action.
His game, oh my god, not him.
Look, no one can blame me for getting ideas. The moment Finn shot me that deliciously irresistible smile and asked me out to lunch, I was doomed. I hope it’s not a crime to admire your gamemaster’s butt?
Someone hand me a d20 and shut me up already, please.
This sweet, geeky romance has a whole heap full of spice and a happy ending. It’s novella-length, for a quick afternoon read.
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Once again this author brings us great characters that are engaging and well written. The storyline flowed smoothly from beginning to the end.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Unabashedly, this book is a steamy love letter to RPG fans. As a lifelong geek myself, at first I wasn’t sure I’d be able to identify with the heroine, who is just awkwardly navigating her first “Towers & Tyrants” (T&T) convention when she meets a kind, handsome, (if mysteriously single) GM who shows her the joys of Role Playing Games. And yes, there is a scene where she shows him the joys of role playing horizontally. (A scene I thoroughly enjoyed.) But the author does an excellent job of making Olivia relatable and likable while also using her lack of familiarity to introduce our hobby to readers who might be in the same boat.
That said, the target audience is clearly people who will appreciate the gaming-centered story line, and empathize with the awkward and sometimes upsetting moments most women have faced in what is still a male-dominated hobby. The side characters who pass through the pages are also charming, and certain to remind us of our own friends. With one very notable exception, every character in the book models what players and authority figures should do to make our community safer and more inclusive, but often do not in reality. If I have a substantial complaint about the book it is only this. (Also the reason I typically do not read romance novels in mundane contemporary settings.) The book had the genre’s usual “uncanny valley” effect on me, where everything looks a little too much like my real life, and yet something is off. Unfortunately what is off in this case is that reality is not a romance novel, and overall Olivia still has a much gentler path to her happy ending with more support than I think most of us experience. But the required suspension of disbelief is certainly no greater than similar books in a modern setting. (And asks a great deal less than say- billionaires dating women who’ve never used email before.)
I’d recommend Dating & Dragons not just to romance fans who are existing fans of Role Playing, but also romance fans who have even a passing curiosity about our wonderful, quirky, emotion-filled hobby. The book’s absolute strength is showing the best of what this community can be, and reminding me of the reasons I love telling stories with my fellow gamers.
I received a free copy of this book in exchange for giving my honest review.
This book was such a fun read. I loved how the in game story was woven with the overall story. Olivia and Finn had some amazing chemistry from the beginning and it was pretty hot when they got together. I do have to wonder how they lasted as long as they did without any relationship other than gaming, but since there was a bit of a time jump, I will have to keep wondering. The conclusion was sweet and satisfying. I’d definitely love to read more by this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review, but my opinions are my own.