I don’t know much about D&D, but loved this book and honestly I feel like it made me curious about the game. The teen angst and banter were cute. Barbara stole the show though!

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc!

I adored this book and this was a fantastic installment to a great series!
There are so many good nuggets for YA readers from worries about fitting in with new groups and a new school to navigating relationships with friends, family, and more than friends.
I love the nerdy setting of dungeons and dragons. The campaign adds a wonderful subplot that leaves me waiting for the next session, just like the characters!

Running a bit behind on my ARC reads! I've been distracted as of late!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this novel! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

When I originally saw the cover of this book, I was immediately interested. As someone who has always wanted to play D&D and has completed at least two campaigns on both Skyrim and Baulder's Gate, this book immediately drew me in. I was excited to read about love and how it affected a D&D game.

What I missed in my judging a book by it's cover was that the fact that our main character was in high school. Not knocking anything against that at all! I just wasn't expecting that. I thought they would be college students judging by the cover. It did take me a moment to get into that mindset because I had not been expecting them to be so young.

One of the things I noticed with the book was the inconsistency in the timeline. At one point, our main character, Quinn, said that it was only her second week at school. But yet, she had already been to the very first D&D session where the whole group was introduced to her and to another session where she was invited to join the livestream as a player. Both sessions occur on Saturdays which doesn't line up with her saying she had only been at school two weeks after she had already been to two prior sessions of D&D. This was a reoccurring issue throughout the book. It took a bit of the immersion away, in my opinion.

There were also phrasing that really threw me out of the immersion. For example, during chapter twenty, Logan says, "I know Dad seems crotchety, but he's all right". I had to look up what that word meant because I had never heard it before. I showed my husband and he broke out in laughter. He confirmed that these were high school kids and said that he never heard a high schooler talk like that. And he is right. A lot of "bigger" words were used throughout the book that did not align with the characters being in high school. It was a weird place to be; reading in the mindset of a high schooler that uses "big" words that not even college students use. Heck, words that I don't even use!

Overall, I did enjoy the book. The love story was cute. There was not a whole lot of fluff or development for the characters and was very straight forward. For a short, quick read, a decent 3 stars. I would have loved to seen more character development and more interactions between some of the characters before they were all instant best friends. In my personal opinion a bit more character development would have went a long way in bringing this up from a 3 star read to a 4.

I LOVED the D&D aspect of it! It makes me wonder if the author is a DM herself! I wanted to be apart of Sloane's campaign so bad! It was so realistic and only fueled my interest in the game more! If she writes a campaign based on either Logan or Sloane's ideas, I will be the first in line to try it. If I can get a group together that is.

I am non-American and have never heard of this game. I was a bit confused in the start. A short, fun YA contemporary I love. The forbidden romance was a bit eye-rolling, not gonna lie. You guys are kids!

This was such a cute ya romance it had my nerdy heart begging for more. This book follows Quinn a senior who had to change schools but luckily finds a group of DD players who welcome her in the only rules don’t miss a game and no dating. Well we follow Quinn as she toes the line with breaking the rules and I loved every minute of it. The characters in this book were amazing that I didn’t want this story to end. The writing was fun and quick paced and the high school romance was just so heartwarming and sweet. I loved the inclusion of all things nerdy in this book while I have never played DD before it really made me interested in it. This is my first book by this author but hopefully not my last! I would like to thank net galley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.

Literally so cute. I loved everything about this. I loved our main characters. I loved the plot. This was an instant 5 stars for me.

“Live your life, Quinn. Every minute of it. Don’t drift through it—live it.”⁣
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Pancakes, Pickleball, the best Grandma, and an adorable baby cow. I mean..who wouldn't want to read this book? Especially if you love a sweet YA romance with a great supporting cast. And if you are into D&D, that's even better!⁣
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@kristylboyce does it again! I absolutely devoured Dungeons and Drama and couldn't wait to break into Dating and Dragons. I picked up the beautiful B&N Exclusive Edition with the deep purple and gold foil letters, and I love it. I'm a sucker for a well-done cover. ⁣
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Quinn Norton is starting over at a new high school and hopes that joining a D&D game will help her forget her past drama with her old group and help her make friends. But she didn't expect a D&D campaign that includes live streaming, a no-dating-other-group members rule, and a cute and charming boy, Logan Weber, who she can't stop thinking about. Add in a meddling grandma—who thinks Logan and Quinn are perfect for each other—and you get a heartfelt story that’s also fun to read!

Let me start by saying that I adored Dungeons and Drama. It is one of the cutest YA romance books I have read in a long time, so I was so excited to receive the ARC for this book.

While I'm not a D&D player, I have always been intrigued by the game, so I loved the continuation of that theme from the first book. There were other "nerdy" references as well, which made the read quite enjoyable. Quinn and Logan's slow burn/love-at-first-sight relationship was so fun to follow. Plus the added relationship with Quinn, her grandma, and Logan was simply heartwarming. I loved that Quinn learned what true friendship was from her new D&D group. While I do not fit into the YA age group I still very much enjoyed the banter and relationship-building throughout the book.

Oh, and on a side note- the vibrant cover art for both of the books is the cutest, so props to the illustrator!

Thank you so incredibly much to Random House Children’s and Delacorte Romance for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was so CUTE and the romance between Logan and Quinn was super sweet!

Similar to the previous book in this series, this book focuses a lot on the friendship between Quinn and her best friend which I loved. The characters felt real and genuine, which was really refreshing!

I really liked this one and I can’t wait to read Kristy’s next book!

Thank you to NetGalley & Delacorte Press for an ARC of this book!

This was such a fun book. The game references and the set up were beyond amazing. I like the interactions between both main characters, they are way too damn cute!!!! Definitely one to watch out for . Definitely recommending

Dating and Dragons: A Delightful YA D&D Romance

Kristy Boyce has done it again! If you loved Dungeons and Drama, you absolutely must pick up Dating and Dragons. While it's set in a different location than Dungeons and Drama, it captures the same heartwarming charm and nerdy goodness that made the first book so enjoyable.

Boyce has crafted another fantastic cast of characters. The sibling dynamic between Sanjiv and Kashvi is particularly compelling—a relatable and aspirational portrayal of brother-sister relationships. Their interactions are witty, supportive, and feel genuinely authentic.

Just like Dungeons and Drama, Dating and Dragons is brimming with adorable moments (dice jewelry and attic moments with your crush), touching emotional beats, and a swoony romance that will leave you sighing happily. Boyce expertly balances these elements, creating a story that's both lighthearted and emotionally resonant.

I'm a huge fan of Kristy Boyce's YA D&D romances, and I'll continue to recommend both Dungeons and Drama and Dating and Dragons to anyone looking for a sweet, nerdy, and utterly charming read. They're the perfect blend of humor, heart, and the love you create with your nerdy ass friends.

Thank you NetGalley, Random House and Kristy Boyce for the ARC for an honest review.

I was so excited when I saw a second book was being released- I loved the first book so much- it was cozy and adorable and perfect. I was disappointed when I realized this book was not following the same group as the first book and honestly I couldn't connect to this new cast the way I did with the first, but that's not to say they weren't lovable. I was just missing that playfulness.

Dating and Dragons is a lot more serious than the first- less of the adorable cutesy fun and much more dramatic. Which wasn't necessarily a bad thing, but I was expecting another fluffy read. I will throw out there that I absolutely loved the grandma in this book and kinda wish she had joined the online D&D streaming group. That would've been hilarious.

I found the romance scenes to be a bit much and honestly they made me uncomfortable most of the time. for example: "I'd have pressed you against that door and kissed you until the sun went down and I was your only source of heat" It was just TOO much for me.

Overall though, it was a fun read, the characters were likable and there was some lovely character development. While I didn't love this one as much as the first- I'd still eagerly read a third book!

My first book by Kristy Boyce but it won't be my last.

Quinn Norton is starting over in a new High School, after her family makes a move for her grandmother so they can be closer. She hopes that joining a D&D group will help her make some friends. That plan is even more exciting when she learns that the cute boy Logan is already part of the group. One problem is that the group does not allow dating within the group. Given Quinns disaster with her old D&D group, Quinn accepts the rules, but that does not stop the sparks from flying.

This was cute, so cute. I really like D&D so it was awesome to see in a YA novel! I enjoyed the characters, the plot and the writing. This was such a fun read! I also really enjoyed the author showing us glimpses of their campaign, which was a welcome addition.

Overall I am looking forward to see what Kristy Boyce writes next.

This was such a fun follow-up to Kristy's last D&D themed romance, complete with rich characters and emotional arcs, swoony romance, and delightful nerding-out. Will read everything she writes!

Kristy Boyce never misses! Her writing has bite, and the characters are so real, you feel like you're sitting right there with them! I love the way she builds tension and her pacing is spot on. This book is INCREDIBLE and I look forward to meeting her again this fall!

I LOVED this book. Such a cute, clean, nerdy romance that I will definitely be adding to my classroom library ❤️

LOVED THIS ONE. I am not a D&D person, but this book, and the one before it, really make me want to get into it! I liked the idea of the livestream, and the tension between the two lovebird was very well done.

Before I get to the DnD (because that was amazing), I have you give kuddos to Kristy Boyce. She injected the longing, desire, and emotional needs that I typically associate with adult romances into this YA story. When writing about teens, sometimes the romance feels trivial. Like, they're young so how important can this relationship be? Boyce gives Quinn and Logan her full consideration. You believe how necessary they are to each other but the intentions are still very PG.

NOW THE DRAGONS! The most experience I have with DnD is watching Riverdale's freaky knockoff and tiktok clips of Brenan Lee Mulligan's show. So I was pleasantly surprised that this story revolves around six teen who run their own live stream of their games. I have read romances with DnD and gaming before, but this was the first time that I really understood the campaign and enjoyed the secondary story. The teens really get into the role playing as Quinn's magic-using dwarf and Logan's charismatic elf bicker through every episode.

The bickering masks the mutual crush they have going on despite the group's cardinal rule - no dating within the party! But as Quinn faces more obstacles at home, Logan keeps stepping up to help her. They are so cute falling for each other! Quinn is terrified is losing her new friends over a boy since the same thing happened in her last town. But Logan keeps putting her first and that respect puts her resistance to the test. Safely romantic, this book with make your heart flutter!

Dating and Dragons was a perfect follow-up to Dungeons and Drama! I am not always a big YA reader because of the angst, but I will read anything D&D related. This series, and especially this edition, were mature enough in the writing and characters to keep me reading while still being sweet, approachable, and non-spicy enough for teens. I loved the tension between the two main characters, the friendships that developed between the group, and all of the pop-culture call outs to famous D&D creators and characters. I also particularly loved that this book contained some extra game play scenes!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Romance for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Quinn is actually excited to move and start over at a new school, even mid-year, after the disastrous implosion of her friend group at her old school. And things seem to be looking up when she meets a cute boy on her first day, seems to make a new friend who's also interested in jewelry and gaming, and is invited to join a new D&D group. But when the cute boy--Logan--turns out to be a member of the D&D group, and the D&D group has a very strict "no dating members" policy, things start to get messy.

I loved this book so much. I also loved Drama and Dragons, Boyce's previous book in this same vein (though not same series--they're really unrelated standalones), which I had listened to on audio. This one I read, and it brings the same cute, YA energy that reminds me of Lynn Painter's books. They don't read too young, but are squarely cemented int he dramas of high school in a way that feels fun rather than tiring. I don't know much about D&D but I've loved learning about it through these books, too. I'm sure this one will be a favorite of the year, even though it's only January!

Thanks to Delacorte Press for my eARC and Get Underlined for my finished copy! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10