An wonderfully fun and entertaining novel, Taking Initiative is a beautiful debut! In search of a fresh start after her breakup, Jo has moved to small Kansas town and finds herself the only attendee at the local library's first ever Monsters and Mythology (MnM) game night. When it quickly becomes clear that the librarian, Felix, is woefully unprepared to be a Game Master (GM), Jo finds herself agreeing to teach him everything he needs to know. What ensues is a absolutely delightful (and spicy) romance filled with overly formal emails, heartwarming friendships, and plenty of TTRPG.

I enjoyed every moment of this story, from the heavy to the laugh out loud, and wish so badly that I could watch GM Jo do her thing. Felix is so sweet and I loved watching him go on his MnM journey, especially when he realized how much it means to Jo. This was a romance that felt genuine to me - the pacing was perfect and the character growth was front and center. A sort of love letter to TTRPG, Taking Initiative was a pure joy to read and I can't wait to see more from Elle M. Stewart.

Thank you to Elle M. Stewart and NetGalley for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are my own.