This was a fun, lighthearted YA high school book! I don't think I'm the right audience for this anymore, but my younger self would have loved this one. Thank you to Netgalley for the eARC!

Thanks to NetGalley I received an advanced electronic copy of the book to read and provide a review.

I read this in a day and my only regret is that I’m done with the book. I’m going to be honest, I didn’t think I was the right audience for this BUT Dungeons & Drama was such a good read.

This was a really endearing YA enemies-to-lovers / fake dating trope romance with gaming (LARPing and D&D), musical theatre, and an appropriate level of high school drama. Nathan was nerdy and perfect and Riley was bold and authentic. Combined they’re a great duo and I loved their story - miscommunications and all. I also loved the family and friend dynamics. The other secondary characters added an additional layer of interest and community that was engaging to read.

If you like Rachel Lynn Solomon’s YA books, you’ll LOVE this.

This was incredibly cute! The artwork was engaging and fun and the story was light hearted and a joy to read.

4.75! I LOVE a good YA book and that’s what this is!! Literally, this book was so much fun!! When Riley gets in trouble with her parents, her punishment is to work at her father’s gaming store. There is where she meets Nathan and they don't exactly begin to get along. That is until they make a deal to fake date in order to convince Riley’s ex that she's dating and to make Nathan’s crush jealous. But along the way the lines begin to blur and real feelings begin to grow.

If you're a theater kid or love musicals then this is definitely for you. Riley’s passion is theater so there is a lot of talk about it and references which make the book even better. Also, I recommend if you are a gamer or a big fan of Dungeons and Dragons. I love the way the author included the game being played with the characters because it created a found family within all the friends.

Riley and Nathan were the best! The banter throughout the whole book is immaculate. At first, it's very harsh because they dislike each other but as their feelings begin to grow, their banter becomes so adorable. Also surprisingly the angst really keeps you on your toes on what is going to happen. Overall I highly recommend this book!

Thank you to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Random House Children’s for this eARC!

This book is adorable and nerdy in all the right ways! I absolutely adored it. As a new D&D player and a musical theater lover this book was everything. I love a good fake dating trope (especially one that works out poorly). I like the growth of Riley throughout the story, with her learning more about her priorities and opening herself up to more interests and ideas. Her drive to find a way to save her musical for the year, the plans she comes up with, its all really wonderful. This story is just a good bit of fluffy nerdy goodness.

What a CUTE YA romcom!! So sweet, so nerdy, loved the character and relationship development. It was smart and funny to boot.

I’m not exaggerating when I say I giggled or smiled during every chapter and the fake dating angst was TOP TIER. Riley and Nathan mean everything to me and I loved reading about their characters as well as all the shenanigans the friend group got up to during D&D sessions. I could ramble about my love for this book more but honestly all you need to know is I LOVED IT! This book also gave me all the nostalgia feels over high school which is so weird since I’m only 22.

This was everything I wanted in a YA book and I haven't felt this giddy reading one in a while, the perfect amount of fluffy sweetness and heartfelt coming of age!

Absolutely perfect. My perfect birthday read.

I loved pretty much everything about this book. It was the perfect blend of all the nerdy outlets I love.

If you're a fan of the following I think you should give this a read:
-D&D
-theater
-fake dating
-enemies(ish) to lovers
-found family friendships
-teenagers that read like teenagers

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review! I cannot wait for this book to release and for you all to read it.

oh wow!! this book blew me away!! it has it all! laughs and tears and excitement and sadness and fun!! what a great time! thank you so much to netgalley for letting me read this one early!!

This book was the warm and fuzzies that I have come to expect from Kristy Boyce romances. The insight and detail into both the theatre world and D&D was perfection.

This book was so SO adorable. It was fairly fast paced (I read it in one sitting, I honestly couldn't put it down. Fake dating with a D&D/musical theater twist. I found all the characters so charming. Even Riley (our FMC) who could be a little selfish at times. And the romance was so so cute.
The nerd references in this were on point. The entire thing just made me giggle uncontrollably.
5/5 stars. This is going to be one of my favorites.

The perfect fast paced read! I really enjoyed these characters and seeing them grow, especially Riley. I'm not really familiar with musicals (but am a big High School Musical/HSMTMTS fan) or D&D and this book wove these interests together in a way that I think will connect with all readers, whether or not they're a musical/D&D nerd.

4.5 stars/5 rounded up!

This book made me so happy. This is how you write a fluffy ya book!

A lot of times, I will start a book and can’t get past the first couple pages because I immediately lose interest. When I started this book, it immediately grabbed my attention and I didn’t want to put it down.

I LOVED LOVED the interactions between Riley and Nathan in this book. I feel like this was so good because the emphasis wasn’t fake dating, but instead fake flirting. It was just constantly cute.

Also I loved the setting so much. I loved that Riley had to work in her Dad’s gaming store. I don’t know much about Dungeons and Dragons other than from pop culture, but whenever they played it was such a great part of the book to help develop the relationship between all the characters.

Huge thanks to Netgalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press

This was a delightfully geeky and quirky young adult romantic comedy that checked all of the boxes for me! The title and cover alone show exactly what you're in for and it's so adorable.

We have Nathan, the quiet kid at school who doesn't want to be there any longer than he has to and longs for when the day is over so he can work at the game store he loves so much- and we have Riley, who eats, sleeps and breathes musicals so much that she takes matters into her own hands to see one of her favorites without her parents' permission. These two characters are thrown together when Riley's punishment for disobeying is to work at her father's business after school, which just so happens to be the game store Nathan already works for.

This book has everything from fake dating to found family all wrapped in a bubble of all things creative & geeky about high school- including the homecoming dance & a spring musical. I loved all of the typical tropes that the author included. Anytime there's fake dating, you love that tension, jealousy and the ultimate miscommunication when one or both characters catch feelings and Dungeons & Drama didn't disappoint. But the best part of the story was that it gave a different spin on the usual fake dating rom coms with all of the fun D&D gaming, a level of depth to the characters' back stories & side plots, as well as the AMAZING chemistry between Nathan and Riley. I was living for every time they had to pretend to be a couple to see how far they would push each other and the banter that always accompanied each scene.

The overall plot gave me To All The Boys I Loved Before vibes with a gamer twist and plenty of side characters that you'll love to root for. I would LOVE to read another book set in this world.

Thanks to NetGalley & Delacorte press for this ARC to review! :)

I'd like to thank the publisher and NetGalley for allowing me a chance at reading this book.

This book is a cute read for that young person getting into Dungeons an Dragons, while also looking for a sweet romance.

I felt the characters were well done and the plot was smooth. However, the fault of this book is that one of the main reasons that this farce went on (his crush on the girl that showed up often at the shop) kind of fizzled out early on to re-appear somewhat later. She should have been a stronger character. Actually, her ex should have been stronger too.

I also felt that since I've read many fake dating stories this one provided nothing new. So overall. It's great if you're new to it all,but it's so-so if you're not.

Riley stole her mom’s car and drove to see the musical Waitress. Sounds like a completely logical thing to do to me. I mean, it’s Waitress! However, Riley’s mother doesn’t feel the same and grounds her. Her punishment? Working in her dad’s geeky game store. What’s even worse? The Spring musical has been canceled. She’s been anticipating it all summer and now, all her dreams come crashing down. Unless she can save it.

Enter Nathan-a guy she goes to school with, but hasn’t really spoken to and works for her dad at the store. He’s kind of a jerk, definitely a nerd and they instantly get off on the wrong foot and become something of annoyances to each other. When Riley’s pretentious ex, Paul, comes into the store with his new girlfriend, she’s put in an awkward position and lies about having a new boyfriend. The name that came out of her mouth? Nathan, of course. When she learns that Nathan has a crush on insufferable Sophia, the plan is simple: They’ll fake date so that Sofia is jealous and Paul leaves her alone. As Riley juggles saving the musical and fake dating Nathan, she starts to wonder what’s real and what’s still fake. Nathan may be more tolerable than she thought after all.

I know nothing about D&D, but I know a thing or two about musicals and I absolutely loved this! I liked learning about the game as I read and that helped immerse me in the story. Riley and her bff Hoshiko were great and I loved their relationship. Honestly, all the friendships in this novel were amazing. The D&D boys pulled at my heartstrings for sure. This had my emotions going like a rollercoaster. You know when you yell at the TV, “he likes you, you idiot!”? Yeah, it was like that.

This was fast paced and a super fun, swoony read!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for an ARC of Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce.
I loved this book! I loved the nerdy aspect of having Dungeons and Dragons . I needed a romcom and this absolutely hit the spot.

Talented Theater Kid, Riley, and Gamer Nerd, Nathan, have the sweetest YA slow-burn relationship I’ve ever read. They begin fake-dating when they become co-workers at Riley’s father’s game store, and as they come closer to achieving their original goals for the fake relationship, Riley’s real feelings for Nathan catch her by surprise.

'Dungeons and Drama' is a YA coming of age novel in which we follow Riley as she learns that there are more important things in life than driving to a musical theater show without a driver’s license, in the dark. We get to watch Riley join Nathan’s Dungeons & Dragons game and learn that role-playing is quite similar to singing and acting, and like all the musical shows she so enjoys. This brings her some relief as she endeavors to convince her high school to not cut the funding for their Spring musical.

Riley and Nathan have been living in my head rent-free since I finished reading. I couldn't put this one down, it's so very good! This is my favorite book by author Kristy Boyce, and I love all 3 of her Contemporary YA novels. Releasing on January 9, 2024, grab a copy!

Kristy Boyce creates a great young adult romance novel, it does everything that I was looking for. I enjoyed the use of Dungeons and Dragons and the characters felt realistic. It was written perfectly and left me wanting to read more from the author.

I questioned whether I was the right fit for this book. Even though my inner child is still singing loud and proud, my teenage years are ancient history, and I don't really know much about the Dungeon & Dragons universe (I even watched the movie adaptation, but it wasn't my cup of tea).

However, the cover was so vividly enchanting, perfect for someone like me who loves anything colorful! It practically called out to me, urging me to dive in and read. So, I did. Surprisingly, I loved it even more than I expected. I've come to realize that it's not always about the plot or genre that draws me in; what truly matters is the emotions and feelings a book stirs within you. This book rekindled a sense of joy deep within me. The estranged relationship between Riley and her father, her passion for musical theater, her determination to make her dreams a reality by pitching a low-budget musical idea to the school committee – all of these elements, along with the complex dynamics with Nathan, captured me and made for an engaging and emotional story.

The story revolves around Riley, still grappling with her parents' divorce and harboring resentment toward her father for prioritizing his career over his family. As a punishment for borrowing her mom's car without permission and embarking on a road trip to New York to catch a musical with her best friend (despite lacking a driver's license), she's forced to work at her father's game store for eight weeks. There, she finds herself surrounded by game enthusiasts and her father's favored employee, Nathan, who happens to be a school friend with whom she has a rather rocky relationship.

Riley's introduction to Nathan's D&D friends group reveals that the game parallels her improv "choose your-own-adventure" theater exercises. She discovers a way to breathe life into her character, utilizing her vocal abilities to add depth. As she enjoys herself, her ex-boyfriend shows up with his new girlfriend, who nabbed the role Riley had longed for. In addition, Nathan harbors feelings for Sophie, a reluctant participant in their D&D sessions. This prompts Riley to propose a mutually beneficial arrangement: a fake dating scheme to incite jealousy in their respective crushes.

Interestingly, the fake dating plan unfolds as intended, igniting Riley's enthusiasm to save the school musical. However, her complex feelings for Nathan begin to complicate matters. Could their act lead to something genuine? Will Riley be okay watching Nathan's affections drift to Sophie, who's always seeking what she can't have? Perhaps Riley should focus on convincing the school committee to green-light the musical and appoint her as the student director. But as they say, the heart wants what it wants.

Overall, this book brought me so much joy and even sparked my interest in the D&D game universe. The characters are well-crafted, genuine, and compelling, making it impossible for me to put down.

A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for sharing this fantastic book's digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.