Review: “Di-Curious” by Erin Branch
A Nerdy Second Chance Romance That Passes Its Charisma Check
One of my favorite things to do when I’m not reading, writing, or spending time with my family is playing role-playing games. There’s just something so enjoyable about stepping into the shoes of people facing fantastical challenges that are not your own. It’s even more enjoyable when I get to do that with friends as we engage in collective storytelling and form a noble party on a quest to right the wrongs of the world (with plenty of goofing around and flirting on the side).
Of course, one of my favorite ways to roleplay with my friends is by playing Dungeons and Dragons. Even though I’ve only been playing for a few years, it’s sunk its teeth into me and I couldn’t escape even if I wanted to. So, when I met Erin Branch at GCLS and she told me that she had written a D&D themed sapphic second chance romance called Di-Curious, I knew I had to read it. Luckily, Erin was kind enough to send me an ARC copy so I could read it before it’s October 8 release.
June and Nova used to be best friends in high school. They spent every waking moment together talking about their nerdoms and playing their favorite game, Dungeons and Dragons. Years later, though, things have changed. After a bad breakup with the boyfriend who made her leave everyone behind, June is back in town living with her parents and trying to get her D&D themed influencer business off the ground. Nova, meanwhile, is still reeling from her own bad breakup and the failure of her fantasy novel. Part of the reason it failed was that June trashed it on her own stream without knowing it was Nova’s. When June returns to town and asks to join Nova and their old friends on a new campaign, Nova’s resentment causes them to seek vengeance the only way they know how: by killing June’s character. As June and Nova grow closer through the campaign, though, hurt feelings fall by the wayside and their friendship returns. Soon, their rekindled friendship turns to romance and they are forced to navigate their new feelings as circumstances outside of their control threaten to tear them apart again.
One of the reasons I like second chance romances so much is that the trope has angst kind of built into it. Something broke the main characters up in the past and them overcoming that is going to be an emotional minefield. It opens up the opportunity for a perfect “make Jamie cry” read. Di-Curious, though, avoids the angst almost entirely. Yes, June and Nova still have to work through June leaving and the way she trashed Nova’s book, but this does not lead to some massive confrontation or scenes of deep anguish. Instead, they work through these issues together like a real team and come away stronger for it. It makes for a book that is a more low-angst palate cleanser that fans of the trope can read between heavier, more emotion-wrecking stories.
Going along with this, I think June and Nova work as a couple because of their openness and willingness to communicate. The conflict of the story does not come so much from miscommunication or a lack of communication between the two, although there is some there. Nova, being more quiet and reserved, sometimes struggles telling June what they want. Most of what June and Nova struggle with throughout the story, though, is how they handle their new relationship in spite of the external pressures around them. These external pressures do occasionally lead to internal conflict, but June and Nova work through it together in a very healthy way. It was such a joy to read and see how both of them support each other through it all.
For me, Di-Curious really shines as a celebration of nerd culture and sapphic nerd romance. June and Nova’s D&D playgroup feels like they were ripped straight from reality. You’ve got the sweet married couple balancing family and game, the silent shy guy who opens up the moment they step into their character’s role, the newer player who is still working through their “murderhobo” phase, and the one friend who can keep them in line. June is the outgoing type who eats up the spotlight in their cosplay while Nova is the more reserved type who will still jump into a fight to protect the ones they love. Their dynamic is so insanely adorable as they banter back and forth using D&D jargon. In fact, so much of the humor in this book comes from having fun with nerd culture. It feels like humor for nerds by nerds, something I love seeing amidst the endless sea of “make fun of the nerds!” humor has dominated mainstream media for so long. The celebration of nerdom even extends to the spicier parts of the book, with June and Nova exposing readers to just how kinky nerds can be.
All in all, Erin Branch has created a fun and adorable second chance romance that will have readers, both nerd and non-nerds, enjoying the ride from beginning to end. If you’re a sapphic romance reader who also loves geeking out from time to time, this book is especially for you. It’s romance for nerds by nerds and I absolutely adore it.