Mages & Martinis: A Brother's Best Friend, Opposites Attract Romance

by Jennifer Aline

Margot and Piper have two plans after their brother’s death: clean out his townhouse and organize his memorial. However, they don’t plan to stumble across his unfinished passion project: a gaming speakeasy tucked in the back of the comic book shop where he once worked.

Determined to see it through, the sisters team up with their brother’s friends to bring the space to life. Along the way, they’re pulled into the world of tabletop gaming, late-night meet-ups, and more than a little unexpected chemistry. From playful flirting at the Renaissance Faire to quiet moments that turn into something more, Margot and Piper find themselves falling for the very people helping them honor their brother’s dream.

But as the memorial date approaches, new truths about their brother’s death surface, complicating everything they thought they understood. With time running out, the sisters must figure out how to balance grief, love, and the risk of opening their hearts when they never planned to.

MAGES AND MARTINIS is an action-packed story including tropes such as brother’s best friend, black cat and golden retriever, slutty little glasses, and opposites attract. This book is perfect for fans of ROLL FOR ROMANCE by Lenora Woods and WELL MET by Jen Deluca.

328 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 11, 2026

About the author

Jennifer Aline lives in Western New York with her twin daughters and grumpy Miniature Schnauzer. She owns way too many plants, has an unhealthy obsession with vintage typewriters, and is a self-titled coffee snob. As a longtime fan of romance and women’s fiction (with some romantasy sprinkled in), her stories combine steamy elements of romance with the raw realities of friendship and family-focused themes of women’s fiction.

Reviews

[Jenna Lundberg · Rating 5 out of 5]

🎲 Finding Magic in the Middle of Grief 🎲
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🌶️🌶️

I honestly wasn’t sure what to expect from a romance built around a D&D-style campaign, especially since I’ve never played myself, but Mages & Martinis ended up being such a delightful surprise. This book was nerdy, emotional, romantic, funny, and filled with so much heart. I had an absolute blast with it.

Margot and Piper are grieving the recent loss of their brother when they’re faced with the incredibly difficult task of cleaning out his townhouse and planning his memorial. In the process, they discover something they never expected. Their brother had been working on a gaming speakeasy hidden in the back of the comic book shop where he worked. Determined to finish what he started, the sisters join forces with his friends and slowly find themselves becoming part of the world he loved.

The grief in this story was handled so beautifully. There were moments that made my heart ache because losing someone doesn’t disappear simply because life keeps moving forward. Margot and Piper are trying to figure out what their lives look like without their brother while simultaneously discovering pieces of him they didn’t know before. I loved that their healing wasn’t about leaving him behind. Instead, they found ways to carry his memory with them while allowing friendship, laughter, love, and new experiences back into their lives.

And then there was the D&D campaign! I know very little about Dungeons & Dragons, so I wondered whether I would feel completely lost. I never did. Jennifer Aline made the gaming portions easy to follow without overexplaining them, and before long, I was completely invested in the campaign right alongside the characters. I loved seeing pieces of their real lives and emotions find their way into the role-playing. It added such a fun bit of magic to an otherwise very real story about grief and healing.

The friendships were another huge highlight for me. Merlin Heights felt like the kind of small town where I wanted to pull up a chair, order a drink, join the game, and spend the evening with everyone. Watching Margot and Piper become closer to their brother’s friends while working together to bring his dream to life gave the story such a wonderful found-family feeling.

And, of course, there is romance. I really enjoyed watching both sisters unexpectedly begin opening their hearts while everything else in their lives was changing. The flirting, the Renaissance Faire, the quieter moments, and the chemistry added plenty of swoon without overpowering the bigger story. I actually loved that the romance shared the page with grief, sisterhood, friendship, and the speakeasy rather than becoming the only focus.

Jennifer Aline’s writing was so easy to sink into, and the pacing kept me flying through the story. There were emotional moments that had me tearing up, others that made me laugh, and plenty that simply made me happy to be spending time with these characters.

My biggest complaint might be that I wanted more! By the time I reached the end, I wasn’t ready to leave Merlin Heights, the gaming speakeasy, or these relationships that felt like they were only beginning.

Mages & Martinis was such a unique combination of heartbreak, healing, romance, friendship, and wonderfully nerdy fun. It reminded me that grief and joy can exist side by side, and sometimes finding your way forward means discovering a little unexpected magic along the way.

Thank you to Jennifer Aline for the gifted advanced copy. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Alexis Lynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved every second of being BACK in Merlin Heights with new characters, Piper and Margot. It ties in with previously written novels by Jennifer, The Ex-Project and The Naked Book Club; both of which I absolutely adored - as well as had continued crossovers to books written by Rachel Kaye set in the town of Greyport.

M&M is a romance novel with a duel POV of sisters - Piper and Margot, who are grief stricken after recently losing their brother - Jack, and have come to Merlin Heights - a town their brother called home - to address his estate and to plan his memorial…

M&M is a fast paced, easy to read novel (even if you have no previous game playing experience) where the sisters quickly decide after coming to Merlin Heights that they want to honor their brother by continuing his dreams of having RPG gaming events in a speakeasy type setting - inside the shop he and his best friend Caleb owned together. It is not a journey they initially had planned; but they pour themselves into this new adventure and come out more healed with new friendship and relationships that challenge them in healthy ways.

All of the people introduced in the story line are grieving in their own ways - and lots of difficult thoughts and emotions are explored. I was IN MY FEELS (in the best of ways) throughout the story. I love how they both lean into the unknown and navigate their emotions to make a decision that their future selves would be proud of. I also loved how the journey brought them closer together and closer to their brother, too.

It was such a well written story with a lot of personality. The themes of grief and loss were handled delicately and sensitively… and as a previous RPG and table top playing person - this book brought me back to my days of staying up late, drinking, and passionately yelling at my friends over board games - a time in my life that I cherish. I FELT every decision, dice roll, yell, and character immersion event with my whole heart. This was such a fun and unexpected part of the book. Also, Jennifer brings on the heat with spice sprinkled throughout; which only enhances the story itself. And as much as a story about grief and loss can be, it ends with a HEA.

Thank you so much for this opportunity to be an ARC reader, Jennifer. This story and these characters will live on with me forever.

[Caitie McAneney · Rating 5 out of 5]

I didn’t know what to expect from a romance novel centered around a D&D-type game, but this book was delightful! MAGES & MARTINIS is a dual POV book that’s nerdy, sweet, and a bit spicy, without sacrificing the plot. The colorful cast of characters and the setting in a gaming speakeasy in the backroom of a comic book shop were wonderfully endearing. Both protagonists, Margot and Piper, are dealing with the recent loss of their brother and don’t expect to get pulled into a role-playing game with his friends. They find a bit of magic as they play—and equally swoony, quirky love interests.

This is the third thing I’ve read from Jennifer Aline, and it’s my favorite so far. The way she’s crafted this world felt deeply personal and brimming with both emotion and whimsy. Even as someone who has never played D&D, I followed that subplot easily, and felt invested in their campaign! The role-play and their real-life grief and love journeys weave together beautifully. A fun summer read for romance fans! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

(I received a free ARC copy in exchange for an honest review)

[Sandra Olson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happy release day to @jennifer.aline.writes for Mages & Martinis! I was lucky enough to ARC read this story. The portrayal of loss, grief, joy, and healing was just so on par with things I’ve felt myself when dealing with loss, things that I believe are also universally felt. Jennifer wove together a tale of heartbreak, adventure, and love. Sisters Margot and Piper are tasked with having to clean out their recently departed brother’s home, one of the hardest feats out there. They band together with their brother’s friends, who help them along the way, and help them create something wonderful that also follows their brother’s vision. I teared up quite a few times (unsurprisingly), but I also felt happy with each accomplishment, each glimmer of hope, and every step along the way. I also learned a bit about Dungeons and Dragons, as I’ve never played before. It sounds so exciting and fun and like it really brings people together . This is out now and I highly recommend it!

[Lexi W · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) ‼️
Release Date: August 11th
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.75- 4.75 stars!
This book was SO GOOD!! It made me feel all the feels.
I’m one of the last people who would have expected to enjoy reading a book where role-playing games are a large part of the story, but the author made it super easy to follow and it was very entertaining. 🧝‍♀️
This was also a book where the romance wasn’t the focus, but was woven throughout and did get a bit ✨spicy✨. Again, not the focus, which was a point in the pros column.
Finally, the themes of chosen family and respecting a person’s agency and decision-making were also the big reasons for the nearly 5-star review. Big fan of the way the author brought these into the storytelling.

Thank you so much for the opportunity to read and review this Advanced Reader Copy!

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fun surprise! I’ll be real honest, I don’t play Dungeons and Dragons, never had an interest in it at all. And all i know about it is what I’ve watched in Stranger Things 😂 That being said I didn’t know how I’d feel about a book that had inspiration from the game but I decided to give it a try and I’m glad I did! The game is well described and it was easy to follow as the characters played. It also wasn’t annoyingly in your face just a portion of the book, which was nice.
I got sucked into Piper and Margot’s lives and felt for them as they were navigating their new normal and trying to go through their brother’s things after he passed away. The heartbreak and grief were so well written and you really feel for these two!
My only flaw with it is selfishly I wish it was longer 🤭 I want more Merlin Heights and the sisters relationships were just beginning as the book ended and now after watching them struggle with their feelings all book I just want more!
I can’t wait to see where Merlin Heights book 4 takes us!

[Jackie Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of my most anticipated reads this month, and man did it deliver! Such a unique premise- a D&D infused love story isn’t something I’ve read before. Romance really is such a great genre to talk about heavier things such as grief and loneliness because there’s that safety net of the promise of a happy ending, and this book is such a great example of that. I also really loved the dual perspectives of the two FMCs playing D&D for the first time! This is definitely a book for you if you like fantasy but struggle with all the world building like I do! There was something here, but not too much to keep track of!! Overall, a great read 💕🍸🐉🧚🏻‍♀️ Thank you to author Jennifer Aline for the opportunity to read this as an ARC 🫶🏼

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favorite Jennifer Aline book yet! I finished this book in record time, which is always a sure sign for me that I was having fun. Jennifer nails the dual points of view, in this case those of two sisters, Margot and Piper. I enjoyed both sisters in different ways, and liked getting to see how each of them dealt with their brother's death in the midst of finding happily ever after. I will never, ever complain about getting two romances in one!

If you love D&D, you will love the hints of that in this book, but if you know nothing about role-playing games at all, you won't be lost. There is just enough hint of fun nerdiness without it overwhelming the story and the characters.

[Jordan SideYardBookClub · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVED this book! Set in a cute small town full of friends I wanted to hang out with, it follows a D&D campaign (among other storylines) that was so entertaining. Even as someone who’s never played myself, just watched some campaigns, I was never lost. I had so much fun with that entire storyline!

What I really loved was watching these friendships and relationships blossom, especially while the book dug into grief and some genuinely difficult emotions. Jennifer Aline’s writing is so fluid and easy to sink into, and the wonderful fast pace never drags. Oh, and it’s definitely spicy, but in such a great way.

[Colleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advanced copy of Mages & Martinis from the author. Mages & Martinis by Jennifer Aline was such a cute, easy read, but what surprised me most was how gently grief is woven throughout the story. It’s a soft, steady ache that shapes the characters and gives their choices a little more weight. The banter is fun and the whole story has that settle in and enjoy feel. The romance builds with a mix of humor and heart. It’s the kind of book you pick when you want something light, flirty and just plain enjoyable.

[Harriet Banter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic novel from Jennifer Aline!! 😍
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If you like D&D, if you like sibling bonds, if you like escapist ren faire scenes which will pluck you straight out of reality and drop you right into the action - this story is for YOU!
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This novel is flirty and fun with just the right amount of nerdiness haha! Best served with an espresso martini and a roll of the dice 😉
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Also ... the cover!! I LOVE.
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FIVE FREAKIN STARS ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Robbin · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review: Overall? So cute! Favorite character? Sebastian. He’s fun, carefree and up for anything. I wasn’t sure I’d understand any of it, as I’m not a gamer or into games. Turns out, neither were the main characters! We all learned together. This book had all the emotions. A little humor, a little spice and a little BDSM. Grief is addressed often, (if this is a trigger for you). Piper and Margot were sweet and relatable. They got their well deserved HEA.

[Ashley Gorman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a great cozy romance for nerds, and romance readers alike! There is the perfect amount of spice and enough nerdiness without it being too difficult for those who have never played a role playing game to understand. This was my first Jennifer Aline book, and I am excited to read the rest of her stories with how great this book was!

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Emotional and heartfelt. At times this book is heavy in a real and relatable way but it's SO full of positivity and light, even through the darkness. Great, relatable characters, a charming setting, and the fantasy elements throughout are fantastic.

I received this book as an ARC through Jennifer Aline

[Mandie Mac · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟📱
Such a good book. I love the relationships and the I iterations between all the characters. The banter and character personalities are top notch. I had a hard time putting this book down. Highly recommend giving it a read.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 If you've ever wanted to play D&D or have played it then this is ur vibe! We recently started playing so I really enjoyed seeing the sisters bond and dealing with their grief, while learning about themselves and learning to play. Its a fun emotional filled book. I really need to try an espresso martini soon!