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yolandekleinn- — - — - — - — -
Roll for Love by M. K. England
They’re falling for each other one die roll at a time…
Harper Reid’s life is not going according to plan. Right before senior year, her poppy passes away, so Harper and her mom move cross country to the family farm in Clintville, Virginia (population: tiny). Fortunately, Harper has a plan to help her senior year not suck:
1) Find a Dungeons & Dragons group.
2) Figure out the college situation. (Or just don’t go.)
3) Fix up Poppy’s old woodshop.
4) Maybe find a girlfriend?
But things aren’t all bad. Harper loved visiting Clintville as a kid and her dream of being a professional woodworker feels possible here—if she can find a way to tell her mom she doesn’t want to go to college. And, of course, there’s Ollie Shifflet: neighbor, childhood best friend, and, oh yeah, first crush.
Ollie has her life all planned out. First, graduation. Next, community college, teaching at her mom’s farm school, then opening her own daycare. All completely achievable . . . so long as no one learns that she’s bisexual. Because being out with her friends is one thing, but out in public in a small town where everyone’s known her since birth? That feels impossible. But when beautiful, bold, Harper Reid comes back to town and joins Ollie’s Dungeons & Dragons group, her careful plans—and her heart—are upended.
When sparks fly at the game table between Harper’s brash Barbarian character and Ollie’s proud Paladin, Harper and Ollie brush it off because it’s all just part of the game . . . right? As the school year draws to a close and the final boss looms on the horizon, Harper and Ollie must channel the best of their D&D characters to fight for the lives they want—and for a second chance at love, both in-game and in real life.
Why you should read it: I enjoyed the way this story bounces back and forth between the contemporary romance and the over-the-top fantasy romance the main characters are playing through in-game. It's a quick read with a lot of heart, and I was rooting for Harper and Ollie every step of the way.
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So This Is Ever After by F. T. Lukens
Arek hadn’t thought much about what would happen after he completed the prophecy that said he was destined to save the Kingdom of Ere from its evil ruler. So now that he’s finally managed to (somewhat clumsily) behead the evil king (turns out magical swords yanked from bogs don’t come pre-sharpened), he and his rag-tag group of quest companions are at a bit of a loss for what to do next.
As a temporary safeguard, Arek’s best friend and mage, Matt, convinces him to assume the throne until the true heir can be rescued from her tower. Except that she’s dead. Now Arek is stuck as king, a role that comes with a magical catch: choose a spouse by your eighteenth birthday, or wither away into nothing.
With his eighteenth birthday only three months away, and only Matt in on the secret, Arek embarks on a desperate bid to find a spouse to save his life—starting with his quest companions. But his attempts at wooing his friends go painfully and hilariously wrong…until he discovers that love might have been in front of him all along.
Why you should read it: This book is silly and very fun. The stubborn mutual pining is especially torturous, which may not be your jam if you get frustrated with that sort of thing, but is hilariously and brilliantly done if you're into it. All in all an enjoyable low-stakes read, cute and sincere and very charming.
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Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman
Iselia “Seelie” Graygrove looks just like her twin, Isolde…but as an autistic changeling left in the human world by the fae, she has always known she is different. Seelie’s unpredictable magic makes it hard for her to fit in—and draws her and Isolde into the hunt for a fabled treasure. In a heist gone wrong, the sisters make unexpected allies and find themselves unraveling a mystery that has its roots in the history of humans and fae alike.
The secrets of the faeries may be more valuable than any pile of gold and jewels. But can Seelie harness her magic in time to protect her sister and herself?
Why you should read it: Part one in a duology, this book took me a while to get into and then knocked my socks off once I was in it. I thought I knew exactly where it was going along the way, and it kept darting out sideways and surprising me in the best ways. Some story beats were predictable, but that's not a bad thing, especially when there were so many elements of the story that snuck in and genuinely surprised me. The writing style was a casual and lovely first person, and the characters are a lot of fun.
Roll for Love by M. K. England
They’re falling for each other one die roll at a time…
Harper Reid’s life is not going according to plan. Right before senior year, her poppy passes away, so Harper and her mom move cross country to the family farm in Clintville, Virginia (population: tiny). Fortunately, Harper has a plan to help her senior year not suck:
1) Find a Dungeons & Dragons group.
2) Figure out the college situation. (Or just don’t go.)
3) Fix up Poppy’s old woodshop.
4) Maybe find a girlfriend?
But things aren’t all bad. Harper loved visiting Clintville as a kid and her dream of being a professional woodworker feels possible here—if she can find a way to tell her mom she doesn’t want to go to college. And, of course, there’s Ollie Shifflet: neighbor, childhood best friend, and, oh yeah, first crush.
Ollie has her life all planned out. First, graduation. Next, community college, teaching at her mom’s farm school, then opening her own daycare. All completely achievable . . . so long as no one learns that she’s bisexual. Because being out with her friends is one thing, but out in public in a small town where everyone’s known her since birth? That feels impossible. But when beautiful, bold, Harper Reid comes back to town and joins Ollie’s Dungeons & Dragons group, her careful plans—and her heart—are upended.
When sparks fly at the game table between Harper’s brash Barbarian character and Ollie’s proud Paladin, Harper and Ollie brush it off because it’s all just part of the game . . . right? As the school year draws to a close and the final boss looms on the horizon, Harper and Ollie must channel the best of their D&D characters to fight for the lives they want—and for a second chance at love, both in-game and in real life.
Why you should read it: I enjoyed the way this story bounces back and forth between the contemporary romance and the over-the-top fantasy romance the main characters are playing through in-game. It's a quick read with a lot of heart, and I was rooting for Harper and Ollie every step of the way.
- — - — - — - — -
So This Is Ever After by F. T. Lukens
Arek hadn’t thought much about what would happen after he completed the prophecy that said he was destined to save the Kingdom of Ere from its evil ruler. So now that he’s finally managed to (somewhat clumsily) behead the evil king (turns out magical swords yanked from bogs don’t come pre-sharpened), he and his rag-tag group of quest companions are at a bit of a loss for what to do next.
As a temporary safeguard, Arek’s best friend and mage, Matt, convinces him to assume the throne until the true heir can be rescued from her tower. Except that she’s dead. Now Arek is stuck as king, a role that comes with a magical catch: choose a spouse by your eighteenth birthday, or wither away into nothing.
With his eighteenth birthday only three months away, and only Matt in on the secret, Arek embarks on a desperate bid to find a spouse to save his life—starting with his quest companions. But his attempts at wooing his friends go painfully and hilariously wrong…until he discovers that love might have been in front of him all along.
Why you should read it: This book is silly and very fun. The stubborn mutual pining is especially torturous, which may not be your jam if you get frustrated with that sort of thing, but is hilariously and brilliantly done if you're into it. All in all an enjoyable low-stakes read, cute and sincere and very charming.
- — - — - — - — -
Unseelie by Ivelisse Housman
Iselia “Seelie” Graygrove looks just like her twin, Isolde…but as an autistic changeling left in the human world by the fae, she has always known she is different. Seelie’s unpredictable magic makes it hard for her to fit in—and draws her and Isolde into the hunt for a fabled treasure. In a heist gone wrong, the sisters make unexpected allies and find themselves unraveling a mystery that has its roots in the history of humans and fae alike.
The secrets of the faeries may be more valuable than any pile of gold and jewels. But can Seelie harness her magic in time to protect her sister and herself?
Why you should read it: Part one in a duology, this book took me a while to get into and then knocked my socks off once I was in it. I thought I knew exactly where it was going along the way, and it kept darting out sideways and surprising me in the best ways. Some story beats were predictable, but that's not a bad thing, especially when there were so many elements of the story that snuck in and genuinely surprised me. The writing style was a casual and lovely first person, and the characters are a lot of fun.
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