I really enjoy this story. I love that Jo took a chance to start fresh somewhere else after a hard heartbreak. Going back to the hobby she enjoy the most. I love the development between the two character over time. Jo teaching Felix the understanding of MnM, taking him to indi con to get the feel and helping him with the launch. He started to understand Jo more and the joy that it brings to her.

This was a hard dnf. I gave it months of returning to it but no dice. I really really tried. Not on the author it just was not for me.

This was a fantastic romance. Hearts, love, tension. . I . Right away, I was hooked with how odd this situation was, and things only increased, which had me on the edge of my seat.

Thank you to Netgalley and the Publishing Company for this Advanced Readers Copy of Taking Initiative by Elle M. Stewart!

I have tried to read this book on multiple occasions. I’m not sure if it’s the writing or the characters, but something just isn’t jiving with me. I’m going to go ahead and shelf this as a DNF, I apologize. Hopefully I will be able to return to it and try again in the future. Thanks!

Stage Fright is a gem of a romance, even if you don't know much about roleplaying games (aka, me). The chemistry between Jo and Felix is off the charts, and I loved their mature, real approach to relationships. Felix’s emotional intelligence and patience made him swoon-worthy, and Jo’s growth was just as satisfying to watch. The mix of romance and personal growth, along with some game night fun, kept me hooked from start to finish!

A-dor-a-ble! As a newly minted lover of Dungeons and Dragons, this book was so much fun for me. Add in the librarian aspect and it's perfect for those looking for a fun romcom that has spice and everything nice.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

Summary:
Taking Initiative follows Jo, a newcomer to Kansas looking for a fresh start after leaving a toxic relationship, and Felix, the town’s analytical librarian. When they meet at a Monsters & Mythology (M&M) game night at the local library being hosted by Felix, they team up to grow the library’s TTRPG community—despite Felix knowing nothing about the game and Jo rediscovering her love for it. Their collaboration helps them rediscover themselves and forge a meaningful bond, all while navigating past wounds and learning about healthy relationships.

Short & Sweet Opinion:
I thoroughly enjoyed Taking Initiative—the mix of dual narration, thoughtful romance, and TTRPG was right up my alley! Both Jo and Felix’s character growth and banter, plus their more mature approach to romance, made this a refreshing, relatable read.

In-Depth Opinion:
From the author’s insightful notes to the way she tackles heavy topics in the narrative, I had immediate respect for this book. With my love for dual narration, romance, and TTRPG, I was already excited, and Taking Initiative didn’t disappoint. Jo and Felix are both strong characters, with Felix especially hitting that perfect blend of serious and deeply layered; his respectful, internal struggle to keep his distance added a lot of depth to his character. The banter and email exchanges were fantastic, letting me see how they grew emotionally as they built a slow, realistic relationship rather than rushing in. I also appreciated how the TTRPG scenes were inclusive, addressing real-life challenges at the table. Plus, characters who actually act their age made this feel like a mature and meaningful romance! This was a breath of fresh air, and I’ll definitely be returning to this author’s work.

I LOVE nerdy rom com books. This one was so sweet, gave very much YA vibes but not YA at all. He’s such a protector and loved that she stepped back into the correct comfort zone in her own time. Loved it!

I picked this up after struggling through a few other books, worried I’d get stuck in another reading slump. But I was completely wrong! I devoured this story in one sitting—huge props to Felix, our charming main character, for winning my heart. He’s the ultimate book boyfriend, and I loved watching his journey unfold. The deeper moments in the story really resonated with me, too.
Jo and Felix’s tale is easily one of my recent favorites! The themes of nerdiness and gaming were celebrated beautifully, which really hit home for me as a fellow D&D enthusiast. Both characters had fantastic arcs that kept me engaged, and the spice in their relationship was so well done. I can’t wait to explore more of Elle M. Stewart’s writing!
This book was a delightful mix of spicy romance and nerdy charm. Jo, a newcomer to Ashville, Kansas, is looking to escape her past and connect with others at the local library’s first D&D night. Unfortunately, the only other attendee is the cute but clueless librarian, Felix, who’s eager to improve attendance to save his job. Their chemistry sizzles as Jo helps him learn the game, leading to late nights filled with laughter and connection. While the characters’ struggles felt very real and relatable, I sometimes wished for a bit more escapism in the story. Overall, it was a sweet read that balanced real-life issues with heartwarming romance.

No and Felix were just the greatest thing ever! Loved this whole story. I definitely look forward to more from this author. This book had me hooked from the beginning. Especially after being in a slump this was the perfect one to get me back on track!

i picked this up after struggling to get through a few books, and i was worried i might not be able to get into it because of the slump, but i was proved so wrong!

i absolutely devoured this in one sitting - i have to give credit to our mmc felix for making me fall in love with him here! he is just the perfect book boyfriend and i loved following his development. i also loved the deeper moments throughout this.

i was blushing, giggling and kicking my feet - thank you so much to Elle for singlehandedly dragging me out of my reading slump!

thank you so much to netgalley, the publisher and the author for the arc 🫶🏻

"Oh Jesus, was this that thing where people who were about to die got really horny all of a sudden?"

This was a really cute debut novel from Stewart! I loved that it was set in Kansas (the Midwest can be romantic, y'all), I loved the unabashed nerdiness, and I loved how they continued to work through issues and they weren't magically solved by getting into a relationship. I am not a TTRPG player, though most of my friends are, and I found that it did a really good job of explaining gameplay and the worldbuilding involved. Both TTRPG players and newbies can enjoy this book.

There were a few too many NPCs, and some of the writing was clunky, but Stewart more than made up for it with two engaging, mature characters who had real chemistry. I see great things in this author's future!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an eARC in exchange for my honest review :)

Jo and Felix's story was one of my favorites I've read in a while! The celebration and stigma of nerdiness and gaming shone brightly, and as someone who is into DnD and gaming herself, I appreciated it. Both of the main characters have great character arcs that play out throughout the book, and it was enjoyable to experience it. The spice was so well written and so good. Felix is certainly a swooner! I look forward to reading more of Elle M. Stewart's work!

I’m going to start with my tiny criticism of this story, which did not alter my overall rating of the story, but I feel like I have to at least mention in this review….the hotels and restaurants during the trip to the MnM convention are all made up. So, the convention takes place in Indianapolis…coincidentally where I will be for Gen Con at the time this post goes live (which is a very similar convention experience, although Gen Con is a real convention that runs the whole spectrum of tabletop games, while the MnM convention is more focused on Monsters & Mythology. Obviously my geeky little self has to compare the two con experiences, and I know the hotels and restaurants in the area around the convention center….and it would have been so simple for author Elle M. Stewart to do just a few minutes of research and find actual hotels and restaurants in the area rather than having to create them. Overall, yes, it’s not that big of a deal…and yet, it bothered me.

Other than that….I really enjoyed this book. It was cute and geeky and fun and yes, emotional. And it did not take long at all to get attached to both Jo and Felix (and their friends and family that also make appearances in the book).

I understood both of our main characters because of my own lived experience. I am a TTRPG lover and a game master myself, much like Jo, and I throw so much of my heart and my time into my games, because I love the worlds and the stories and crafting these collaborative adventures with the others at the table.

But, like Felix, I am also a librarian (by education if not in practice). I have a MLIS, and if I were working in a library, I would definitely be setting up tabletop nights, whether hosting a TTRPG or just a variety of other tabletop games. Felix needing to learn the game rules and mechanics and everything was a fun time, and was a great way to bring our two protagonists together. Got to love that forced proximity connection time.

This story was a wonderful roller coaster, with my feelings all over the place. I felt the growing feelings and tension between Jo and Felix, and I also definitely felt the lingering effects of leaving behind a toxic relationship (mine was friendship, not romantic, but still) and the echoes of that that surface when venturing out into new relationships. There were beautiful and tender moments and heightened emotionally charged moments.

I loved the side characters too (even though now, almost two months after reading the book, I can’t tell you any of their names), and I definitely loved seeing the wonderful geeky folks come together in support of MnM, the library, and a place of community and acceptance and belonging.

This is definitely a book that I am happy to have in my personal collection, and one that I will probably recommend a great deal over the years. Plus I now am keeping an eye on future books from Elle M. Stewart, and honestly kind of hoping for other stories with these characters (like interconnected stories that follow different friends and their own adventures).

Book received as an Arc via NetGalley. This book was fantastic! From the easy relatability of Jo and Felix, the seamlessly integrated dual-POV, and an overall fast paced romcom with a clearly deep respect and affection for the game of D&D, this book shined from start to finish, and I did not want it to end. Jo and Felix’s romance was so beautifully real, so full of the difficulties that romance after a long term relationship, from traumas to coping, to healing. It’s a book that is at times sweet and romantic, and others emotionally painful and honest, and I loved every moment of it.

Taking Initiative was a fun read if you are a regular in this general topic area - I am always a fan of contemporary romance x TTRPG. You can tell that Elle M Stewart is a true part of the TTRPG / DND community through so many moments of this read, but I especially loved the struggle of a "forever-GM" pushing through people pleasing instincts and discomfort in an effort to enjoy a game how she wants to. Such a relatable character and something that many women in the game have gone through in so many different ways and at so many different tables. I love the setting of a small town library as well, and the way that these kinds of activities and clubs really can be the lifeblood of a library in a town where community spaces are limited. So while the writing was not quite to my taste and there were a few moments that felt fanfic-like in style to me, I can't help but rate this a 3.5-4 star because it really did hit my heart in a way that I appreciated! More books in this area need to be written, and I'm grateful to Elle M. Stewart for this one.

This was a delightful romance with some big feels. I loved the characters, and thought they were really well written. I also really enjoyed the premise and how engaging the gaming parts were, you didn’t really need to be into games or even understand much to be invested in what was happening.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publishers for a copy of the arc.

I wanted to love this but unfortunately I couldn't get behind the writing style.