An instant USA TODAY bestseller
Julie Murphy meets Casey McQuiston in this unforgettable queer romance about a teen girl whose foray into fantasy tabletop roleplaying brings her new confidence, true friends, and a shot at real, swoon-worthy love.
Hollis Beckwith isnāt trying to get a girlāsheās just trying to get by. For a fat, broke girl with anxiety, the start of senior year brings enough to worry about. And besides, she already has a boyfriend: Chris. Their relationship isnāt particularly exciting, but itās comfortable and familiar, and Hollis wants it to survive beyond senior year. To prove sheās a girlfriend worth keeping, Hollis decides to learn Chrisās favorite tabletop roleplaying game, Secrets & Sorceryābut his unfortunate āNo Girlfriends at the Tableā rule means sheāll need to find her own group if she wants in.
Enter: Gloria CastaƱeda and her all-girls game of S&S! Crowded at the table in Gloriaās cozy Ohio apartment, the six girls battle twisted magic in-game and become fast friends outside it. With her character as armor, Hollis starts to believe that maybe she can be more than just fat, anxious, and a little lost.
But then an in-game crush develops between Hollisās character and the bard played by charismatic Aini Amin-Shaw, whose wide, cocky grin makes Hollisās stomach flutter. As their gentle flirting sparks into something deeper, Hollis is no longer sure what she wantsā¦or if sheās content to just play pretend.