I think you'll find a lot of established writers recommend that - even if it feels boring - sticking with said is best 90% of the time. I've always found this post (https://www.quickanddirtytips.com/education/grammar/he-said-she-said) particularly instructive on that topic. Don't worry about it too much, I promise!
And totally understood with the ratings system. That kind of thing is tough to implement, so I'm glad you tried and have thoughts on how to rework it.