This review is based on an Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

This review may contain mild spoilers

This was a great 3 -star read for me.

I absolutely loved that we got the best of both worlds with this book, romance and romantasy! I have never played D&D before, so I was worried this book would not resonate with me, but I was wrong! I found it so easy to read and understand, and fell right into that part of the story. It was such a unique read, and I really enjoyed it! Going back and forth in the story lines was hard because I didn't want either story to end, but I would get sucked right back into the story, so it did not bother me! I also need to mention that the cover is so stunning!

This book was not only one love story, but two! I enjoyed that the story included our main character, Sadie, learning about herself and making platonic friends. Sadie's growth and development was so rewarding to read and really added depth to the story. The side characters were so fun, and their friendships made me happy.

Noah, our main male character, was such a fun, lovable, patient man, so yes, please! Things get a little spicy, so be prepared, but in a good way. This was just the right amount of spice to add to the story. Both storylines were slow burn, but I was here for it!

I would recommend this to anyone looking for a fun romance with a bit of a whimsical fantasy subplot.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. #RollForRomance #NetGalley.

I enjoyed the personality differences between the people and their D&D characters. It was a cool way to depict how you truly can be anyone while playing. Ultimately, I do not think this book is for me. Nothing against the writing or the story, I just think I was not the correct audience for this book.

⭐ 4.25
🌶️ 1
🥵 Spicy chapters: 22, 27
📚 Tropes/Themes: found family, d&d, Golden Retriever MMC, dual realities, meddling friend groups, finding yourself, slow burn,
👀 Single POV 3rd person

💬 I really enjoyed this book, it was so sweet and adorable. Almost makes me want to play D&D 😂

So many cute things I loved:
- Noah's swoony golden retriever-y wanderlust personality
- The jumps between the main story (real life) and the D&D game narration
- Noah and Sadie's story written "in real time"
- I'm a sucker for proposals but I like that this ended without that, that their HEA hadn't gotten there yet.
- The suggested book club discussion questions, Alchemised's bar menu and Liam's character questions at the end

And then just the slow burn romance between the MCs 🥹 Noah actually reminds me of a guy that I had the biggest crush on in college so it's safe to say that I would accept him as a book boyfriend LOL

I do wish there had been more backstory to the characters though, especially because it took a while to learn anything about Noah.

This book was the perfect summer read. Light but with heart, funny but had serious moments, takes place in summer with a main character at a crossroads. And it was just so damn fun. Sadie’s anxieties and worries were realistic and relatable - especially about her job. The romance was well done, flirty fun and banter. Noah was adorable and sexy all at once.

But the dnd campaign and the side characters were what made this come to life. Sadie’s friends, new and old, were funny and interesting and supportive and so cool. And normally I hate asides into a game world or a fictional world in a book, but the campaign worked so well to actually support and further the main plot. I really enjoyed it.

What a refreshing romance! Sadie moves to a small Texas town after burning out in her high stress job in New York. She meets new friends, new romance, and a new perspective on herself.

I loved this. I loved it so much. It was very low stakes and cozy, saving the spice for the last third and it felt EARNED. Sadie and Noah's romance was so sweet and took its time, feeling so real. The way the supported each other and wooed each other, in game and out, had me cheering for them the whole way. The main story is interlaced with the D&D story of their characters as well, and I liked that story as well, not as much as the main, but enough to inspire some stories in my own campaign. This book is perfect for those looking for a sweet romance with very little conflict and no drama.

This was such a unique and fun read. I’ve never played D&D and don’t really know anything about it, but I was intrigued by the idea of a romance surrounding it. I’m glad I took the opportunity to read this one. I enjoyed it a lot.

Sadie’s experience of burnout felt so real. I could sense her struggle to rejuvenate and also to try and figure out what was going to come next for her. The sense of needing to return to her “real life” and her career battling with the crushing pressure at the thought was very authentic and I was rooting for her to figure out what was genuinely going to be best for her in the long run. I also really enjoyed the romance between Sadie and Noah. I thought they were very sweet and endearing together, and they had heat when the time was right for them.

The D&D game created a story within a story, and I thought it was fun. I liked that Sadie and Noah’s game characters had the same chemistry they did because it added another layer of connection between them. Some of the game play story sections felt a little long at times and I wanted to get back to the “real” characters, but even feeling that way, I was still invested in the story Liam was creating as the Dungeon Master for their game. The game also allowed for interesting side characters in the group that gathered to play. I liked seeing Sadie grow those friendships outside the game as well.

This was a great debut and I’d definitely read more from Lenora Woods in the future. Thank you to Dell via NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Wow, what a delightfully wonderful debut! This book follows Sadie, recently laid off from her career in NYC, who decides to spend the summer job/soul searching in small -town Texas with her best friend Liam. She joins Liam's D&D campaign and meets Noah, who she has insane chemistry with both in and outside of the game. I've never played D&D and know next to nothing about it, but REALLY enjoyed this book. Parts of the book follow Sadie's character within the campaign, which was less interesting to me but I can see how fans of the game might love reading about the campaign and it definitely did contribute to the story and make it unique!
I can't wait to read the next book by this author & fingers crossed its in the same universe as this one!
4.5/5 stars

The RayView:✨✨✨✨
The HeatRay:
How It Be Spicin’?:🌶️🌶️🌶️
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As a newbie D&D player as well, I adored this book! I really enjoyed how it was basically two stories in one; Noah and Sadie’s + the D&D campaign. The gameplay wasn’t blown over or pushed to the background. It held its own while still wrapping into the Sadie and Noah’s story beautifully. A very inspiring piece on big changes and falling in love. Definitely a must read!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Roll for Romance is the second book I’ve read that is a romance with a backdrop of D and D after You’ve Got Chain Mail. What’s really interesting in this conceit is how the characters are able to be their more authentic selves while role playing, allowing them to build deeper and more intimate relationships than they would have otherwise. There is a whole novella’s worth of D and D in this book, and while I first wasn’t sure how I’d like it, because I am not a big fantasy fan, I was sucked in and cheering for their quest to be successful. For the first time I actually understood how D and D is played.

I loved was that the female MC, Sadie, had curly hair. And not perfect hair, it got frizzy, big, and unkempt. I love seeing this realistic view of us curly girls who are under-represented in fiction. Sadie and Noah were good matches for each other, each running from their problems in different ways. Every character at the D and D table was great! You could do a whole series with each character getting their own book (best friend Liam next, please!) 3.75 stars. Thanks to Net Galley and Random House/Ballantine for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

This is what nerdy romance dreams are made of! I absolutely loved this book I finished it in a day. The chemistry between our MC’s was the biggest swoon. I can’t wait to read more from Lenora Woods!

Geeky D&D romance? I’m in! I absolutely devoured this book. I truly loved all of the characters. Sadie starts out in a funk after being whisked away to stay with her best friend Liam. Liam is such a good friend. He rescues her, gives her a home, side quests for her days to keep her busy, and time to reconnect after spending years apart. Then he creates a special first timers D&D campaign for her and a couple of other friends of his. This is where we meet Noah, our rolling stone mmc. The group all bonds over the game and then in real life. I loved watching Sadie and Noah’s relationship grow as well as they themselves as people. What was really special and impressive about this book was the way that the author incorporated the D&D sessions. They were written as a separate story told from Jaylie’s (Sadie’s character’s) perspective. I was just as invested in that story as I was in the real world story. If Lenora would write about the other characters I wouldn’t be sad, but I will definitely read whatever she gives us next.

Obsessed. This nerdy and adorable romance absolutely gets a 5 star rating for me for all the vibes. If you e liked over D&D reads like Dungeons and Drama highly recommend! One could say it landed a critical hit on me 😏

Sadie has lost her job in the city she always dreamed of living in and with it her purpose. She finds herself in Texas living with best friend Liam as she tries to right the ship. Liam keeps her going with errands, local recommendations, and a game of D&D with other first timers. What starts as a silly game to appease Liam becomes a life changing adventure. New friends, an unexpected swoony bard, and a rekindled love for her art all have Sadie second guessing what she wants for her life.

I absolutely loved how this alternates between their D&D game/story and real life so much. It was fun to get the fantasy vibes and see how their characters played out while following the real world. Sadie and Noah were just so sweet together, it wasn’t overly fussy or complicated, it just felt real and relatable. I just adored it so much 🥹

4 ⭐️


This was surprisingly so good! The way this was written, if I would’ve known ahead of time, might have turned me off to be honest. However, I was so entertained! Two storylines intertwined where we see Sadie and Noah falling in love and then their D&D characters, Jaylie and Loren, doing the same. Now, as someone who’s never played D&D and has no idea what it’s even about or how it’s played, don’t let it deter you from reading! Woods did an incredible job in making it easy to understand whilst keeping us engaged. It’s a 2-in-1 romance guys, like what else is not to like? Fans of fantasy romance as well as contemporary or magical realism will love this book, I totally recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley & Dell for the eARC in exchange for my honest review! Books comes out tomorrow July 15 🫶🏼🫶🏼

I just have to start out to say that the cover is adorable! Very on brand. As for the book itself, it wasn't a big win for me. From the beginning, I just struggled to connect to the characters. I really liked the setup and I thought everything was explained and presented well, even for someone who hasn't played D&D. The book is well written, but it just ended up not being for me. I will still recommended to my romance loving friends because I think it'll work for them.

This is really well written! Not only is there a fully fleshed out “real” world, but there is a wonderfully detailed fantasy world to accompany the D&D gameplay in the book. I loved it, and actually want to play D&D now!

3.5 rounded to 4.

I was so excited for this book, and I think that excitement and anticipation is what carried me through it. This had a rough start. I spent the first 10-15% of this being very confused. Through the course of this book, we follow two alternate plotlines, that of our main character Sadie, and that of her character Jaylie throughout the D&D campaign. We got dropped into the D&D campaign pretty abruptly, and I really struggled with the first couple transitions.

It's hard to to keep up when we're meeting a player's D&D character before we've even really met the player on the page, trying to remember which character belongs to which player, and also understanding the context of the campaign without having much time for worldbuilding there. It took until about 40% through the book before we really started to flesh out the other players and learn more about them, and at this point the transitions between the book and the campaign started to flow more smoothly as well.

Ultimately I did enjoy this book, but it took a while before I was able to really get into it. There were a lot of references which were really well done, and I'm sure some that I didn't even pick up on. I loved the very well placed reference to Princess Bride, and a lot of the details with her time in NYC felt very genuine (coming from somebody who lived in Brooklyn for 5 years). If you love fantasy, roleplay, or stories about finding new passions, you might enjoy this book.

Thanks to the author, Ballantine, and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book!

3 stars and my thanks to Netgalley and the Publisher for the eARC!

Another book I really wish I would have liked as much as I thought I would. It just didn't do anything for me. There's a few DND romances out at the moment and they're all kind of the same. Whether the girl has never played or has always played, there's no substance to the "real life" story in the story. Sadie lost her job and is living with her best friend until she can land on her feet, best friend gets her to join his DnD group, girl meets burly nerd who works at a craft brewery, girl and nerd fall in love.

It was a cute novel and I know my thoughts on the book are just being mean, but I just can't waste time on books that ultimately don't keep my interest for very long.

This book is nerdy, sweet, and genuinely warm-hearted, it is perfect for romantics who don’t mind their love stories with dice rolls.

I’ve been a fan of D&D ever since watching Stranger Things. I’ve never played it properly, but it always caught my interest. Which is exactly why I requested this book. Even with some basic knowledge of D&D, I found myself lost quite a few times while reading. There were parts of the game that weren’t explained well, and I really wish it had gone into more detail. The constant jumping back and forth between the game and reality was honestly very confusing. It interrupted my reading flow more times than I can count. That said, what I absolutely loved was the sweet, healthy, and heartwarming portrayal of friendships in this book. It really stood out. I’ll definitely be recommending this one to D&D fans!

Rating: 4/5
I received an ARC for my honest opinion

If you like reading romances with small town vibes, D&D adventures, learning to love/understand yourself, slow burn and found family vibes. Then you need to pick up this book. In this book you will meet Sadie, she is burnt out from her corporate job and is at a crossroads with what to do next in her life. She decides to take a trip to see her best friend who now lives in a small town in Texas, and hopefully time spent with him will help her to understand what to do next, but little did she know that all she needed was a little D&D adventure time and a close group of friends she never knew that she needed. I loved that this book shows you what is going on in the D&D game then jumps to the characters in their real lives. It made it fun to see how they were doing during the game and how the challenges would or wouldn’t help them IRL.

I thought this book was so much fun, and it shows you that it doesn’t matter your age, anyone can play D&D and have a little fun and maybe even help you with important choices in life. In this book you will meet Sadie who is sweet and kind but just sick and tired of living her nonstop corporate lifestyle in New York City and when she goes to Texas to get away, she finds herself playing a D&D game with new people and over time the players become her friends and even more. I really liked the fact that the topic of the book was about the game but at the same time it also showed the characters when they weren’t playing and how the game could be used in real life situations. It reminded me of being a teen and having a summer love. I loved role playing, the found family vibes from the group of new friends, the romance that blossoms because of this group and the understanding what someone truly wants in life instead of what they might have thought. The characters in this book were what really shined for me though.

Sadie was a fun MFC, I really liked that she wasn’t just sure what to do with her life and was willing to let go for the summer to figure things out. I found the adventure of her discovering who and what she really wants in life by playing out this game with her friends really helped her to understand what she wants. By changing her character, personality and skills and seeing how she would handle situations helped her with her choices in life. Noah, it is the sweetest cinnamon roll hero. He was gentle, understanding, supported and even gave advice to Sadie when she needed it. He was open and honest about his lifestyle from the start but what we all know in books and in real life is that it changes sometimes when you meet someone. He is what you would call a free spirit or hippie lol and I just loved him for that. He is a great MMC for Sadie.

This book is full of a fantasy dream world all mixed up with romance and learning to understand that things and people change and that is okay.

I want to thank NetGalley and Random House for the opportunity to review this book.