I found protagonist Gillian to be one of those rare individuals who is witty, slightly neurotic, loyal, and intelligent. She is a woman who finds herself at a pivotal point in her life and in her marriage, and in dealing with it all she manages to put herself in more than a few amusingly awkward situations. When husband Ralph becomes fixated on his LARP hobby Gillian handles this new challenge in her relationship in an unexpected and hilarious manner that had me shaking my head and admiring her simultaneously.

Everyone needs a friend like Gillian, and her best girl friend Jas, is fortunate in this regard. The easy friendship between Gillian and Jas is among my favorite parts of the story; the delightful way these two women are sounding boards for one another, and their unfiltered insight and candor with each other is realistic and enviable.

With so many books focused on finding Mr. Right followed by a wedding, I love how this book focused on the period afterward (post wedding), the true-to-life marriage part of the relationship. Gillian and Ralph’s marriage has had its share of problems and as a reader I kept rooting for them to figure things out.

I highly recommend reading Out of Play; it is a funny-yet-serious-un-romance. I consumed this book. It tugged at my heartstrings and made me laugh (especially the yoga scene). The dialogue was relatable and the characters were authentic.

The author, Joy Norstrom, has a unique voice, writing style, and unconventional approach to storytelling that cleverly balances genuine life problems with humorous scenarios. I look forward to reading more from this debut author. ( )