Plus One Bonus (Table Topped #4) by Alex Silver

 

Amazon Link   - Available in KU  

Goodreads Link

Our relationship is fake, but my feelings are growing more real by the day.

Max sweeps me off my feet at our bus stop. He becomes my friend. Then, just when I think he might be into me, he throws me a curve ball by asking me to be his fake date to a wedding. He claims his buddies won’t leave him alone about finding a plus one. The catch is, the ceremony is months away, so we’ll have to be pretend datemates for a while.

I suspect there’s more going on than Max’s inability to handle confronting his meddlesome friends. Especially once I meet them all and see how much they care about Max. I keep going around in circles trying to figure out how he truly feels about me, all the while trying not to fall for him.

Plus One Bonus is the fourth book in the Table Topped series. It is an M/X (genderfluid) romance between Max, the newest member of his gaming group who misses home, has a secret penchant for manties, and can’t handle confrontation and Si/Simon/Simone, a snarky genderfluid tea seller.

CW: History of neglectful parents and parental abandonment, a side character’s infertility struggles are mentioned.

My Rating - 4 Stars!

Plus One Bonus is a great addition to the Table Topped series. The fourth book in this Alex Silver series, it's definitely best read as a part of the series to get the full experience of the friend group. 

As with the entire series, Max and Si's relationship involves plenty of gaming moments. These aren't my favorite scenes, but I do love the friendships in the group, with the banter and sarcasm. 

And of course, Max's friends are the reason everything starts with Si/Simon/Simone as Max needs a fake relationship to get his friends to back off from setting him up.

I adore the way everything unfolds for these two. Slow burn is the key here though, as the two start falling quickly, but take a while to admit it. 

The gender fluid aspect is extremely well done. I absolutely love and appreciate every moment of this element. Si/Simon/Simone. The way the author writes all three is fabulous. The reader can clearly feel the differences along with the characters. If you're ever looking for a great gender fluid character, look no further.

I love the way Max deals with and react to Si's different gender feels, and handles it supremely well. The two are clearly wonderful together. 

Plus One Bonus is a fun fake relationship romance. Alex Silver definitely delivers with this sweet story. 

Saving Throw (Table Topped #3) by Alex Silver

 

Amazon Link - Available in KU
Goodreads Link

Rene was my first everything. Best friend, first kiss, first love, first heartbreak.

Seven years after walking out of my life, they tear open old wounds with a single photo of a smiling little boy and the message they’re coming home.

Mo has my smile and Rene’s eyes. It kills me that I didn’t know about him sooner. As furious as the news Rene kept such a major secret makes me, I want a relationship with my son more than I want to rehash old arguments. Besides, Rene has more baggage than the 747 they flew in on, and I swore off love the first time they left me heartbroken.

When I learn Rene and Mo need a place to stay while they settle into life in Vancouver, it sounds like a perfect opportunity. I’ve got a spare room. What better way to figure out co-parenting than living together? It’s not like I’m going to fall for the ex who hurt me deeper than anyone else could. That would be ridiculous.

Saving Throw is the third M/NB romance in the Table Topped series. It features Errol, demisexual panromantic production coordinator who likes to be in control and his first love, Rene, a non-binary trans masc ex-hockey player turned coach.

CW: Past mentions of a physically abusive alcoholic parent and portrayals of trauma/PTSD related to that, secret teenage pregnancy and related gender dysphoria/difficulty with accessing medical care. Side characters struggle with infertility.

My Rating - 4.5 Stars!

Saving Throw, the third book in the Table Topped series by Alex Silver is a wonderful, feel good read. 

This is a second chance romance between Errol and Renee, who were childhood best friends and high school sweethearts. When Renee re-appears in Errol's life, it's with a surprise; their six year old son. 

There's a lot going on in this story. At first, it's mostly the story of two people becoming friends again, blending their lives for the good of their son, and slowing falling back into being a couple. But later, things get heavier and more complicated.

First, I'm in awe of Errol's acceptance of the situation. He's truly a remarkable man. Most stories like this deal with the surprised parent's anger and feelings of betrayal. Instead, that is mentioned, but Errol never lets his feelings get in their way. He's fully able to look beyond his pain and spends time getting to know his son. 

Then there's Renee, who I love. A non-binary character, former hockey player, who raised their son by themselves for six years. Renee was raised by an alcoholic and abusive father. Renee's father never cared to discuss Renee's gender with them, and it took Renee a long time to understand they had gender dysphoria. Their family issues are plentiful, having left them with some emotional baggage.

In addition, adding more layers to their relationship, is Errol's sexuality. Back in the day, he didn't have a name for what he is. But now he knows he's demisexual and panromantic. The only person that has ever turned him on is Renee. No matter what Renee's body looks like, Renee's the only one Errol wants to be physical with in any way, and I applaud Renee's acceptance of Errol's preferences. Awww, I love that cuddling is just as important to Errol as anything else. 

The author handles all of these things in a fantastic manner. Renee's non-binary identity is a large part of who they are, and the author handles this with care. As well, the author explores Errol's sexuality in an amazing manner, writing it with knowledge and tact. 

This is a story of finding out you're a dad to a six year old, a second chance with your ex, and a whole lot of impressive forgiveness. It's a story of learning to move forward with one's new found situation. It's truly beautiful. There are some obstacles later on of course, as there should be given the situation, but I love how they're handled. They're important issues to be discussed and although it's heavy-ish, their love and relationship is never in doubt. 

Best of all, I enjoy the author's character diversity in this series, as they include a variety of sexual and gender identities. It's truly refreshing to find series like this, as there aren't a whole lot of them. 

As far as the gaming scenes, I continue to not relate to those. There aren't many in this one, but it's easy to skim through them quickly. 

Saving Throw is the perfect read when you're in the mood for a mostly low angst, tender read. This Alex Silver read is a impressive in it's depth, while also being a wonderful option for people to learn more about diversity and different lifestyles. 

Charisma Check (Table Topped #2) by Alex Silver

Amazon Link   - Available in KU  

Goodreads Link

Gui’s the best friend I ever had. I love him like a brother, too bad I’m falling for his little brother.

Jude is a walking talking temptation, everything I never let myself want. He’s sweet as chocolate, wickedly funny, and he gets me. The sex, well, it’s worth a repeat and that’s something I never do.

When he visited Gui, I thought I could settle for a one night stand, but then Jude moves to my city to work at my studio. Gui gets him to join my gaming group and suddenly he’s all I see. Now Jude’s looking at me with hearts in his eyes and I’m terrified that I’m going to break his heart.

Charisma Check is the second M/M romance in the Table Topped series. It features Jude, a hopeless romantic with diabetes who makes animation and Theo, a commitment-phobic trans man with depression who runs tabletop games for his friends.

CW: for severe depression, gender dysphoria, mention of past suicidality, surgical recovery, injection medications/needles (insulin dependent diabetes)

My Rating - 4.5 Stars!

Charisma Check is the second book in the Table Topped series by Alex Silver. It's easily read as a standalone. I was immediately drawn into this story.

This is a best friend's brother's romance, as Theo is attracted to his best friend's younger brother Jude. 

I appreciate the layers of these characters. Theo's a trans man and I love the way his packer issues and sexual experiences are handled. It's nothing heavy, but well representative of his needs and gender dysphoria. All of this is written in a fabulous manner, with knowledge and care. I appreciate it all.

A large part of their tale is the conflict of Theo's intentions. He's always been one who can't commit, but he finds himself not wanting anyone else either. His backstory is well explored, with his fear and pain well explored. I love it. 

As for Jude, he's a diabetic who issues with his health are well illustrated. I appreciate the way the author not only has the character talk about it, but also shows the steps he needs to take when dealing with his health. It's extremely well written. 

I expected this book to be super short like Roll For Initiative, but this one is much longer, at 178 pages. Thus it's much more detailed and the author has a chance to add a lot of depth to the story, which is great.

As with the first book, there's plenty of gaming conversations, which again bored the hell out of me, but it's easy enough to skim over those parts.

This is a story of two men who fight their feelings along the way. Two men who are terrified of being vulnerable and letting themselves fall in love. Two men who can't stop themselves from opening their hearts and letting the other in. 

In the end, I love Charisma Check. Alex Silver delivers with an emotional and deep read. This tale of two men who have had relationship issues in the past, finding love and strength with one another, is beautiful. 

Roll for Initiative (Table Topped #1) by Alex Silver

Amazon Link   - Available in KU  

Goodreads Link

If I discover one more passive aggressive sticky note detailing all the ways I’ve annoyed Paz today, I’m going to scream.

When Paz moved in, I thought I’d rolled a critical success in the roommate lottery. He’s just my type, into guys, and he works at my favorite cafe making the most heavenly chocolate confections I’ve ever tasted. Then the notes start, criticizing everything I do. Before I know it, he’s making my blood boil, and not in a sexy fun way.

With the holidays coming we’re both dealing with work stress, but at the rate we’re going I might just be the grinch who ruins Christmas by telling him to find another place to live.

Roll for Initiative is the first book in the Table Topped contemporary romance series featuring a group of tabletop RPG players who make video games for a living. M/M romance with a HEA, roommates to lovers, enemies to lovers.

My Rating - 3.5 Stars!

Roll for Initiative is the first book in the Table Topped series by Alex Silver.

Gui and Paz are new roommates who go from enemies to lovers in a short time. Some bickering and passive aggressive notes lead to some hot hate sex. I was totally turned off by this at first, but it's sweet in the end. It's cute how upset their jealousy and misunderstandings had them. And it's fun the way that having sex dropped their walls and had them treating one another with some respect. 

The pace at which they go from enemies to sharing a bed every night it definitely a weird thing, but who really cares I guess.

As for the gamer aspect, that's something that bores the hell out of me. I have no knowledge of gaming, so the details don't interest me. Luckily there isn't much of this, but starting the book with this scene had me not sure if I wanted to keep reading.

The writing is sharp and quick witted. The dialogue is well done and the pace is fast. Basically, it's 79 pages of a cute romance. 

Roll for Initiative is a short, quick roommates romance. There isn't much to this Alex Silver read, but it's good when you're in the mood for sweet and sugary.