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 isnât trying to get a girlâsheâs 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 isnât particularly exciting, but itâs comfortable and familiar, and Hollis wants it to survive beyond senior year. To prove sheâs a girlfriend worth keeping, Hollis decides to learn Chrisâs favorite tabletop roleplaying game, Secrets & Sorceryâbut his unfortunate âNo Girlfriends at the Tableâ rule means sheâll need to find her own group if she wants in.
Enter: Gloria Castañeda and her all-girls game of S&S! Crowded at the table in Gloriaâs 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 Hollisâs character and the bard played by charismatic Aini Amin-Shaw, whose wide, cocky grin makes Hollisâs stomach flutter. As their gentle flirting sparks into something deeper, Hollis is no longer sure what she wantsâŠor if sheâs content to just play pretend.