Informationen zum Autor Kristy Boyce played her first role-playing game in high school and has been friends with that group ever since. In fact, she married the DM. Nowadays, she teaches psychology as a senior lecturer at the Ohio State University. When she's not spending time with her husband and son, she's usually writing, reading, or watching happy reality TV. Kristy is the author of Rolls and Rivalry , Dating and Dragons, Dungeons and Drama, Hot British Boyfriend , and Hot Dutch Daydream and lives in Pickerington, Ohio. Klappentext INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • When it comes to romance, sometimes it doesn't hurt to play games. A fun YA romcom full of fake dating hijinks! A COSMOPOLITAN BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE YEAR No one loves musicals more than Riley Morrisher dream is to be a Broadway director. But when the spring show is canceled, Riley has to figure out a way to bring it back. Easier said than doneshe's stuck working at her dad's game store. The place that means more to him than his family does. Riley can't waste time at a dead-end job when her entire future is resting on making a name for herself. So she convinces her co-worker Nathan Wheelerthe floppy-haired, glasses-wearing guy she barely knows from schoolto help her. In exchange, she'll help him make his gamer-girl crush jealous. Plus it won't hurt to show her egotistical ex, Paul, just what he's missing without her. Soon Riley and Nathan are a couple, and people seem to believe it. But selling the ruse means joining Nathan's role-playing game. To Riley's surprise, the game is almost fun. And even more surprising, flirting with Nathan doesn't require as much acting as she thought it would. . . . Leseprobe Chapter One Of all the punishments my parents could have chosen, I can't believe they went with this one. Riley, Mom says from the driver's seat of our SUV, I don't want to see you sulking today. You brought this on yourself, and part of the agreement is that you're going to have a good attitude. I sink farther into my seat, the memory of myself and my best friend, Hoshiko, in these very seats still strong in my mind. Only a few days ago we were blasting the original Broadway cast recording of Waitress, laughing and debating whether the actors would come out for autographs after the show. And now . . . Are you sure we can't rethink this, Mom? No. She glances at me and back at the road. I still don't think you're understanding what a dangerous decision you made Friday night. How are your father and I supposed to trust you at home alone after this? Okay, it wasn't the best decision to take Mom's car without her permission while she was out of town on business. And yes, I drove multiple hours on the highway at night to get to Columbus, with Hoshiko . . . and without a driver's license. But we didn't get pulled over or get in an accident! In fact, you could argue that I should've driven faster because then I would've beaten Mom home and I wouldn't be getting this lecture right now. I don't think I'm going to use that argument on her any time soon, though. But working at Dad's store? I whisper. She presses her lips together like she wants to sympathize but is fighting it. Your father suggested you spend the afternoons with him since I'm too busy at work to be home after school with you. It's not my fault he's so attached to this store of his. The tinge of bitterness when she mentions Dad's store only adds to my frustration. Mom has never liked the store. It was one of the main reasons for their divorce, and I've always been firmly on Mom's side about the whole thing. It never even occurred to me that she'd agree to have me work there as a punishment. I really figured Mom would understand about my love for musical theater outweighing my logical decision-making (and state d...

Klappentext

**INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER • When it comes to romance, sometimes it doesn't hurt to play games. A fun YA romcom full of fake dating hijinks!

A COSMOPOLITAN BEST YOUNG ADULT BOOK OF THE YEAR**

No one loves musicals more than Riley Morris—her dream is to be a Broadway director. But when the spring show is canceled, Riley has to figure out a way to bring it back. Easier said than done—she’s stuck working at her dad’s game store. The place that means more to him than his family does.

Riley can't waste time at a dead-end job when her entire future is resting on making a name for herself. So she convinces her co-worker Nathan Wheeler—the floppy-haired, glasses-wearing guy she barely knows from school—to help her. In exchange, she’ll help him make his gamer-girl crush jealous. Plus it won’t hurt to show her egotistical ex, Paul, just what he’s missing without her.

Soon Riley and Nathan are “a couple,” and people seem to believe it. But selling the ruse means joining Nathan’s role-playing game. To Riley’s surprise, the game is almost fun. And even more surprising, flirting with Nathan doesn’t require as much acting as she thought it would. . . .

Leseprobe
Chapter One

Of all the punishments my parents could have chosen, I can’t believe they went with this one.

“Riley,” Mom says from the driver’s seat of our SUV, “I don’t want to see you sulking today. You brought this on yourself, and part of the agreement is that you’re going to have a good attitude.”

I sink farther into my seat, the memory of myself and my best friend, Hoshiko, in these very seats still strong in my mind. Only a few days ago we were blasting the original Broadway cast recording of Waitress, laughing and debating whether the actors would come out for autographs after the show. And now . . .

“Are you sure we can’t rethink this, Mom?”

“No.” She glances at me and back at the road. “I still don’t think you’re understanding what a dangerous decision you made Friday night. How are your father and I supposed to trust you at home alone after this?”

Okay, it wasn’t the best decision to take Mom’s car without her permission while she was out of town on business. And yes, I drove multiple hours on the highway at night to get to Columbus, with Hoshiko . . . and without a driver’s license. But we didn’t get pulled over or get in an accident! In fact, you could argue that I should’ve driven faster because then I would’ve beaten Mom home and I wouldn’t be getting this lecture right now. I don’t think I’m going to use that argument on her any time soon, though.

“But working at Dad’s store?” I whisper.

She presses her lips together like she wants to sympathize but is fighting it. “Your father suggested you spend the afternoons with him since I’m too busy at work to be home after school with you. It’s not my fault he’s so attached to this store of his.”

The tinge of bitterness when she mentions Dad’s store only adds to my frustration. Mom has never liked the store. It was one of the main reasons for their divorce, and I’ve always been firmly on Mom’s side about the whole thing. It never even occurred to me that she’d agree to have me work there as a punishment. I really figured Mom would understand about my love for musical theater outweighing my logical decision-making (and state driving laws). Where Sara Bareilles is concerned, there is no line I’m unwilling to cross.

I’m about to argue more when she pulls into the parking lot. We both sit for a second, taking in the store. It’s not a particularly pleasant sight, despite the blue skies and sunny September weather. His store is in a run-down shopping plaza in Scottsville, my rural Ohio hometown, which has more than its fair share of run…