Best Romance Books of 2023
95 Best New Romance Novels That'll Make You Swoon
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Cathy Yardley's "Role Playing" sees two social recluses challenge themselves to take their relationship offline and fall in love IRL. After her son left for college, Maggie grew comfortable being alone. When her son challenges her to nurture her social life more, Maggie takes to a corner of the internet, playing under the screen name Bogwitch. There, she meets Otterlove, who in real life is Aiden, a similarly socially isolated man, weary from caring for his family. The two make their assumptions about what the other is like in person, and when they finally decide to meet up, they are surprised by the emotional heartaches the other carries and hides so well through a screen. Their gaming chemistry is just as palpable in person, but with their real-world baggage, Maggie and Aiden question if being together should have been left a dream.
Release date: July 1