Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's for the advance electronic copy of this title in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this book. Definitely didn't believe all of it--if my unlicensed kid took my car and drove to the city to see a show, she would definitely find herself with a more serious punishment. Also found it pretty predictable. That being said, I was a theatre kid who raised a theatre kid, so I definitely appreciated that aspect of the story. Also appreciated the way it handled the family situation--divorced parents, child lives with one and feels pressured to be loyal to that one.

What I didn't expect was to be fascinated by the Dungeons and Dragons piece of the story. As the drama kids got involved with the game, I wanted to be there playing too. Just ordered my own dice and looking at books for beginners.

A cute book, that actually went a bit deeper than expected about friendship.

I don’t personally play dungeons and dragons, but my husband loves it which is why I was looking forward to reading this book. The cover of this book really caught my eye, also. This book brought me so much joy and other positive emotions I don’t even have words for!

This was such a fun, immersive, sweet YA romcom. I love Kristy Boyce's work, and this one was a fresh departure from her travel romances—learning about D&D and following the twists of this fake dating situation was a total joy. Can't wait for more!

One of my most anticipated books stuck the landing.

As someone who had no idea what D&D was, this is perfect who felt the same way. It explains it really well. I had no idea what D&D was for the longest time and now I finally know.

All the characters were lovable (except for Riley’s ex and Nathan’s crush) and their were other couples in the book who were cute too.

The banter made me laugh and they had amazing chemistry. Their dynamic was really great and didn’t turn into jerky territory. I like that they became friends first before they realized they had feelings for each other. Nathan giving her that die was one of the most romantic things I have ever read about.
Riley was unafraid of what people thought about her “quirky” personality. Reviewers lately have been bashing these types of characters, for being “cringe”. Even though there are plenty of people like that in the real world. Characters that are able to be nerdy without being labeled “cringe” are honestly what makes my heart happy.

What a positively cute and quick read. For someone who is recently into DnD, and is currently playing their first campaign, this book made sense. The characters were light and fun, the story had a bit of everything and the romance was perfect for a YA novel. YA is typically not my favorite but this was a breath of fresh air from my normal reads. Riley was such a great main character that you just wanted her to succeed. Definitely recommend this pallet cleaner to anyone looking for something upbeat.

Thank you NetGalley & Kristy Boyce for an early copy of the book in exchange for a review.

I think this is one of my favorite books so far this year, I enjoyed it so much. As soon as I had the time to start it I basically couldn’t put it down. The characters were so cute and I love faking dating.

This was SO cute! Fans of Critical Role and the Chris Pine Dungeons & Dragons movie will love this. Fans of Dungeons & Dragons itself will love this. This is the YA novel or every theater geek and fandom nerd (it's me. I'm theater geek and fandom nerd).

I really thought that this was really sweet. I loved her free spirit and I loved her reconciling her relationship with her dad. I love board games and I love theatre so this one was so sweet and warmed my heart!!

"Dungeons and Drama" is a super cute book for young adults! It's all about romance and the fake dating idea, which makes it really fun. The love story is sweet and just right for the age group. It's a perfect pick if you want a heartwarming and delightful read.

What makes this book extra special is that it includes Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) stuff. The author explains D&D terms in a cool way, so even if you don't know the game, it's easy to understand. Unlike other books that just talk about gaming, this one takes you right into the action. I loved that! It adds a cool layer to the story. Even if you're new to D&D like me, you'll connect with Riley and learn about the game as she does. "Dungeons and Drama" is not just a love story; it's like a fun adventure into friendship, love, and the magic of Dungeons and Dragons!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

I love this fun nerdy romance. I would definitely recommend to another reader wanting a funny romcom but a bit of nerdy-ness.

Fun and fizzy YA rom/com firmly placed in the world of fandom of many forms. Appreciate the fully fleshed teen characters with their own motivations/passions/hobbies/priorities.

ARC from the publisher via NetGalley but the opinions are my own.

Dungeons & Drama by Kristy Boyce is a good fit for those seeking a lighthearted and humorous romance that explores the ups and downs of fake dating, enemies-to-lovers, and nerd culture, with a touch of hopefulness and heartwarming moments.

I am a tiny bit torn on how I wanted to rate this book. Overall, I would say that I liked it and that I would definitely suggest it to teen readers and to any adults who may want a touch of high school drama or Dungeons and Dragons in their novel. However, I ended up not entirely loving it as much as I wish I would have.

A few issues that I had with the book is that everyone was very much a caricature of what a high school student is. I felt like they were all super stereotypical and not as well rounded as most teens actually are in real life. I felt like Riley was a little more annoying than I typically like in a protagonist.

Also, some of the descriptions of D&D were just NOT accurate at all which made me sad. Case in point, a line later on in the book that really stuck out to me. "I never get to use my accents at D&D since I'm always the DM." Excuse you? From playing once or from watching any of the popular D&D livestreams, that is 100% false. The DM is literally the one who can use accents the most given that they play all the bad guys and all the NPCs? The quoted statement isn't accurate to D&D at ALL.

But other than a couple little picky details I overall enjoyed it. I just wish it was a bit less full of stereotypes (you can absolutely portray a teen that is self involved and all drama nerd or D&D nerd in a better way) and with a few more accurate details about gaming.

This a simple, sweet book about, you guessed it, Dungeons & Dragons and the school musical. It's pretty straightforward, and I really enjoyed that about it. I was in the mood for a book that would keep me entertained and just be a lighthearted good time, and this book delivered. Riley, the main character, is the theatre kid to rule all theatre kids. While some of her dialogue and actions were slightly cringeworthy (breaking out into the opening number of Legally Blonde: The Musical whenever she or her best friend say "omigod" comes to mind), but as a former cringeworthy theatre kid myself, I cannot argue that it is inaccurate. This book feels like high school for me to a T, and it was really fun to vicariously live through Riley.

Such a fun read!!!

Top 5 Reasons to Read:
Strong female lead! “I’m a freaking catch.” Yes you are, young lady.
Total acceptance of diverse hobbies- from D&D to musical theater (and the author added some amazing theatrical references 🎭)
Friendships with an inclusive attitude of “the more the merrier.”
The right amount of teen rebellion…“It’s easy to get your parents on board if you never tell them anything.”
And of course….an adorable fake-dating trope 💕

We are introduced to another rebellious Riley in Dungeons and Dramas. When this Riley takes her mother's car, without permission nor a driver's license, to the city to see the musical Waitress, her divorced parents decide her punishment will be working at her estranged father's gaming store. Not only is she distraught about working there, she is also upset that the school has cancelled this year's spring musical, which she was hoping to direct. When her ex shows up at the store with his new girlfriend, Riley claims her co-worker Nathan is her boyfriend to save face. Nathan is appalled, but agrees to the ruse so that he can make his crush jealous. To make the relationship seem more official, she starts playing Dungeon and Dragons with him and his friends at the store. Of course, she is the bard and finds opportunities to sing at every meeting. The more time she and Nathan spend pretending to be involved, the more lines blur. Meanwhile, she is campaigning to revive the musical by putting on a show for the administrators to demonstrate that there is sufficient interest for them to reconsider their decision. When things go terribly wrong, Nathan and her new friends come to her rescue.

This is SUCH a cute romance! I absolutely loved it and feel like it has such wide appeal. (I do love a good YA and it’s lovely when the story being told truly has a place within its intended audience). The characters are charming and memorable, and it’s just such a fun and diverting read. Highly recommended!

Thank you Random House Children's, Delacorte Press and NetGalley for the complimentary ARC so I could provide my opinions!

4⭐
ARC Review - Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Oh my god this book was so cute. I'm very picky when it comes to YA but I was pleasantly surprised with this book. The FMC and MMC personalities are amazing and side characters also have a big part in this story. The fake dating and slow burn in this book were done very well, I was EATING IT UP. Since D&D was a main aspect of this book as well, I feel as though it brought out my nerdy side and I'm hoping it will get readers who enjoyed this book to branch out to it as well! The only aspect of this book I didn't love was the ending, I felt as though it was very rushed and didn't resolve the slow burn that took up most of this book. Please give this book a try! Even if you don't think it will be your cup of tea it's a cute short read.

This was super cute. I can honestly say I've never read a book so focused on Dungeons and Dragons but I can't say I hated that. It's certainly unique. Those scenes in particular held my attention. It wasn't my favorite fake relationship young adult but it was good. I think it could have benefitted from 2 POV. It was all from Riley's POV and I really wish we could have had Nathan's too. I loved all of the musical references! It was overall a very adorable young adult romance and I would recommend it.I would definitely recommend this to anyone who loves musicals and/or Dungeons and Dragons.

Riley is a theater-kid who has dreams of being a musical director on Broadway, and Nathan is a gamer who plays Dungeons and Dragons with his friends. After Riley is punished by her parents to work in her dad’s game store, she meets her new co-worker Nathan. Their personal interests couldn’t be any more different. Circumstances arise where Riley and Nathan agree to fake-date each other to help make their crushes jealous. Will it end up morphing into something more?

This book somehow overlaps two vastly different areas of fandom that I personally have. I am a huge gamer of all kinds: I play Dungeons and Dragons on a weekly basis and I also play a variety of video and board games. On the other hand, I currently have season tickets to touring Broadway musicals at a nearby theater and a Playbill binder to collect all of the shows that I have seen. I really enjoyed the geeking out references that were included in this book: both gaming and musical theater. Should I be ashamed that I somehow knew all of the musical numbers that Riley sang in the book? (Though they aren’t all shows that I’ve seen– I have looked up soundtracks). This book also brought to my attention my true need to go see Spamalot. It’s a very cute high school romance story and the characters felt like their age. I listened to this on audiobook and it was a very easy listen for me. It’s not an overly complex plot, and the characters and their romance was cute. I really enjoyed the references, even if I was able to point out some flaws in them. I don’t fault the book too much; it was only a handful, and what kind of nerd would I be if I didn’t have a few… “But actually” moments?

I certainly recommend this to the teenage audience that it’s written for, especially if you are part of the fandom of at least one of the bases represented. For adults, I’d say if you still enjoy cutesy high school romance stories, and especially if you are like me and enjoy both gaming and musical theater.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a free eARC via Netgalley. All opinions are my own.