The No-Girlfriend Rule - by Christen Randall (Hardcover)

About the Book

When her boyfriend excludes her from participating in a roleplaying game, high school senior Hollie joins an all-girls group where an in-game romance has the potential to be more than just pretend.

Book Synopsis

An instant USA TODAY bestseller
Four starred reviews!

Julie Murphy meets Heartstopper with a D&D twist in this "magical, heartwarming" (Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times bestselling author of She Gets the Girl) 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 isn't trying to get a girl--she's 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 isn't particularly exciting, but it's comfortable and familiar, and Hollis wants it to survive beyond senior year. To prove she's a girlfriend worth keeping, Hollis decides to learn Chris's favorite tabletop roleplaying game, Secrets & Sorcery--but his unfortunate "No Girlfriends at the Table" rule means she'll 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 Gloria's 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 Hollis's character and the bard played by charismatic Aini Amin-Shaw, whose wide, cocky grin makes Hollis's stomach flutter. As their gentle flirting sparks into something deeper, Hollis is no longer sure what she wants...or if she's content to just play pretend.

Review Quotes

★ "Fans of Dungeons & Dragons and Amy Spalding's No Boy Summer will cheer for Hollis in this joyful and inspiring coming-of-age romance."--The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books, STARRED Review

★ "In this dazzling debut, Randall navigates serious topics such as mental health and toxic masculinity alongside joyful themes surrounding self-realization and cultivating genuine camaraderie and affirming safe spaces. A fully realized cast helps to flesh out Hollis and Aini's developing connection and their individual quests for happiness against a lived-in-feeling gaming backdrop."--Publishers Weekly, STARRED REVIEW

★ "Randall's debut is a romance and a fantasy RPG all in one--both stories equally fleshed out and lovely to read. . . . The banter between the girls is quick and witty, and readers who love Dungeons & Dragons will love the immersive story Randall creates in the fully developed game. At the same time, the novel's characters are so varied in representation and personality that the budding friendships/romance will appeal to those who can't get enough of high school dramas or sweet joyful love stories."--School Library Journal, STARRED REVIEW

★ "This sparkling debut is a love letter to queer, fat, neurodivergent girls and to the importance of friendship, chosen family, and LGBTQ-inclusive spaces. The romance between Hollis and Aini is endearing and joyous, and it's underscored by the depth of the friendships that Hollis makes among the entire S&S crew."--Booklist, STARRED REVIEW

"A delightful queer coming-of-age story of first love, friendship, and self-worth. This book had my heart fluttering with feels." --Ashley Herring Blake, award-winning author of Delilah Green Doesn't Care

"The perfect blend of romance, geekery, self-discovery, and creative storytelling, The No-Girlfriend Rule affirms that even the bumpiest journeys can have joyful endings." --Dahlia Adler, author of Cool for the Summer and Home Field Advantage

"The No-Girlfriend Rule is a magical, heartwarming story as much about finding love as it is about finding yourself and your people. A natural 20 of a book." --Rachael Lippincott, #1 New York Times-bestselling author of She Gets the Girl and Five Feet Apart

"The No-Girlfriend Rule is the fat, nerdy book of my dreams. A beautiful reminder that if you've ever felt like an 'other, ' there is still space for you at the table." --Crystal Maldonado, award-winning author of Fat Chance, Charlie Vega

"This book is the queer romance, RPG adventure, and story of self-acceptance we all need. I wanted to hug every page!" --Amy Ratcliffe, author of Star Wars: Women of the Galaxy and editor-in-chief of Nerdist

"What began as a desire to have something more in common with [her boyfriend] becomes an outlet through which Hollis finds valuable things she hasn't had before--confidence, artistic inspiration, and relationships that are more honest and open. . . Many readers will feel seen in these pages."--Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Christen Randall (she/they) is a queer, fat, neurodivergent author of queer, fat, neurodiverse books. When they're not writing joyful stories for the next generation of geeky gay kids, you can find them working at their local library branch or at home planning all the D&D campaigns they'll run one day, they swear. Christen lives in Covington, Kentucky. The No-Girlfriend Rule is her debut novel. Visit Christen online at ByChristenRandall.com and on social media @ByCRandall.