Such a cute, cozy read about fresh starts, found family, and figuring out what you actually want out of life. It took a little while to get going, but once it did, I was hooked. I loved how the story blended real-life romance with the fantasy of the D&D campaign—it felt like getting two books in one! Sadie’s journey of self-discovery was really relatable, and Noah was such a charming, cinnamon roll bard. The whole group dynamic gave serious found-family vibes, and it left me smiling. Perfect for anyone who loves nerdy romances with heart and a dash of magic.

3.75 stars

Roll for Romance is a cozy, contemporary love story that blends real-life romance with the magic of a D&D campaign. The story follows Sadie, who’s just lost her hotshot marketing job in NYC and moves to Texas with her best friend, Liam, to recalibrate after this sudden change. Liam convinces her to join his new D&D campaign and the rest is history.

I thought it was cool how the perspective shifts and you get to be *in* the gameplay. The found friendship and family really worked for me. It was all so uniquely nerdy and cute.

I had a few hang-ups with the pacing, there were moments where it felt like things dragged a bit. I was hoping it would move along a little quicker to keep me more interested. I can definitely see myself rereading this in the future as I get more experience playing D&D myself.

Thank you NetGalley, Lenora and Harlequin Trade Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my thoughts & review.

3.5/5 stars

I found this to be such a fun unique read. The D&D story within the actual ongoing story itself made it all the more fun and I enjoyed every second of both stories!!

I really enjoyed this book. It took me a little bit to get into it but it was fun. Some of the DND bits would go on a bit but if you are into that I think this book will keep you reading it!

The most impressive part of this book is that there are actually 2 stories going on at once, both of which are captivating. I think I honestly preferred the DND story more than the actual romance, but that might just be because I tend to prefer enemies to lovers over friends to lovers. But this was a sweet story, I wasn't bored, and it was unique.

DNFed.

I loved the concept of this book, but unfortunately, the switching between the D&D world and the real world triggered my adhd. I was confused & frustrated so I had to quit 50% in.
It’s a really fun idea!!! Just not for me.

Thanks to Dell Romance for letting me read and review this book early. All thoughts are my own!!

Roll for Romance was a delightfully fun read about Sadie who recently made a big career choice and is living with her best friend for the summer. He invites her to join his campaign where she meets a gaggle of people who become important parts of her life. Following two storylines, one in the real world and one in their fantasy campaign, Sadie meets and grows close to Noah.

I really enjoyed the dual timelines echoing each other as the characters in real life build their friendships and dynamics. I loved Sadie as a character, and I really enjoyed how she and Noah interacted. I loved all of these characters, and I would love to see them again in another book.

I will say that because we’re following two storylines that take up a relatively equal amount of pages, I had a harder time being connected to Sadie and Noah’s romantic relationship. I think I would’ve liked to see more build up of them as friends before they pursued each other romantically. There were so many group scenes and with the whole other storyline, I struggled to believe that they were that into each other.

As the reader, you can tell pretty quickly how the plot is going to resolve. It’s common with city girl/small town guy dynamics. However, I think because I had a harder time believing their chemistry, I also had a harder time believing that Sadie would just uproot her entire life to move and be with a guy. If it was mainly for her best friend, I’d believe it more than her moving for Noah.

I did enjoy reading it, though, and I would definitely read more books about these characters or even just other books from this author!!

Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods is a total delight! This book is a love letter to fandom, friendship, and finding your people—as well as your person. I absolutely adored it from start to finish.

The characters felt so real and relatable, especially for anyone who's ever found community through gaming, cons, or fandom culture. The romance is sweet, nerdy, and heartfelt, and I was completely charmed by the banter, the group dynamics, and the emotional depth layered under the fun. It had just the right balance of feel-good vibes and real-life vulnerability.

Whether you're a lifelong D&D fan or just love a good story about falling in love while staying true to yourself, this one is a must-read. Lenora Woods has crafted a warm, inclusive, and irresistibly geeky romance that left me smiling long after the last page.

Very cute DnD-centered romance, with split narratives between the campaign and the real-life romance!

I'm really glad this is becoming a popular sub-genre, we love nerds in love <3

After getting laid off from her dream job, Sadie retreats to ger best friends home in far-away Texas, and agrees to join his DnD campaign. Sadie is quickly taken with the other newcomer, Noah, the big, burly bartender who plays a very suave bard in the game.

This is a very sweet romance. I think I enjoyed the fantasy roleplaying aspect more than the actual romance, which seemed pretty basic and straightforward. There is little keeping them from being together, and they quickly act like they're dating (even if they don't admit it). Still, Noah is a cute cinnamon-roll boyfriend, and I liked seeing Sadie regain her creativity and confidence. The side characters are also fun, with best friend Liam being the standout.

I highly recommend!

I’ll admit—I struggled to get into Roll for Romance at first. The digital ARC had so much potential, but the switch between the real-world storyline and the D&D campaign POV left me a little lost, especially trying to track which characters were who in and out of the game.

But then I tried the audiobook, and wow, what a difference. The narrator brought the D&D sessions to life with distinct character voices, and suddenly everything clicked. Once I was immersed in the audio, it became so much easier to bounce between formats—I found myself switching between listening and reading with ease because I wanted to stay in the story.

This book is nerdy, heartwarming, and genuinely fresh. I ended up really enjoying Sadie’s journey—her burnout, her creativity, her new connections—and Noah is a cinnamon roll dream. I loved the found family vibes and how the D&D campaign became a tool for growth and connection, not just a gimmick. The “story within a story” format isn’t going to be for everyone, but once I adjusted, I found it charming and unique.

If you're struggling with the format, I highly recommend the audiobook—it helped the story shine in all the right ways. Lenora Woods has created something really special here, and I’m excited to see what she writes next.

Thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and Lenora Woods for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I started this one reading the digital copy, but found myself overwhelmed with keeping track of the characters in the real world and the characters during the D&D sessions. I didn’t want to DNF as I thought the story had great potential and wanted to give it a fair shot, so I decided to switch to the audiobook and do more of an immersive read which made all the difference. The narrator used different voices for each character which really helped me differentiate who was who and track the storyline between.

Overall I thought this was a really cute read and would definitely recommend!

I had a really amazing time with this story! It was such a fun and fresh approach to immersing the reader into the DND game the characters were playing! The way the story weaves fantasy within the contemporary romance by taking you along on a DND campaign was so delightful! I have watched ONE session of a DND campaign in real life and know hardly anything about it and I thoroughly enjoyed myself! What a fun and totally cute adventure! I really enjoyed the character growth our FMC goes through with the help of her found family. I cannot wait to see what comes next!

Check this out if you’re interested in these tropes:
💟 DND Gameplay
💟 Fantasy & Contemporary Romance
💟 Cinnamon roll MMC
💟 Found family
💟 Only one tent
💟 No third act breakup

Sadie just lost her NYC marketing job and moved in with her best friend Liam in small-town Texas to recalibrate. When Liam convinces her to join his new D&D campaign with a group of other first-timers, she’s unexpectedly introduced to a group of people who become like family. As she gets to know Noah, and his in-game character, she realizes there might be something to life outside the big city.

I loved Sadie, her burnout recovery journey, and her exploration of herself through D&D. I’ve never played, but it was so clear that the author has a deep understanding of the game and its dynamics. Noah was such a delight - a ruggedly handsome bartender who loves RPGs and writes fan fiction??? Truly unmatched. All of the side charcters were just as fun too! This was such a sweet romance with a few excellent steamy scenes and I ended up devouring the whole thing in one day!

This was a cute, lighthearted read and definitely a nice twist on a typical rom com. I felt like the amount of time spent on what was happening in the D&D game made it take longer for me to get invested in the book and took away from the main storyline, but I did in the end find myself curious about how the D&D game would resolve. This was a bit out of my wheelhouse but a very good time, and the work anxiety/burnout for the FMC really rang true.

3.5 stars

ARC was provided by the publisher via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this nerdy romance! It was a heartfelt, fun, and easy read. One of the things I loved most about Roll for Romance was how it told two parallel stories, one in the real world and one in the D&D campaign. The shift into Jaylee’s perspective during the game was a great touch and gave the story extra emotional weight. The writing is warm and immersive, with just the right balance of humor, vulnerability, and fantasy. Highly recommend for fans of romance with a nerdy twist.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Roll for Romance is an extremely unique concept of dual storylines being played out over the course of the novel. While I loved Sadie and Noah’s contemporary romance, I struggled to sink into the fantasy of the D&D plot. I *know* that this book is going to hit with the right reader, but it was a little bit too niche for me. I am excited to see what Lenora Woods comes up with next, as I think her writing is both skillful and swoony. Thank you to Dell and NetGalley for my gifted ARC.

This book was SO adorable and nerdy and full of gaming references I was obsessed. I found all of the characters so charming and relatable. I really could picture myself and my friends as these characters which I loved. Amazing concept, incredible execution. No noters.

I loved this book! The incorporation of their D&D campaign gave the story a cute fantasy twist, and I loved the journey these two took on their way to each other. A total dream boat MMC and an FMC who learns to follow her heart (in her career as well as her love life!). We all need a friend like Liam.

Cute, nerdy and full of anxiety. Could not be more relatable if they tried. Loved this one so much. Where can I find my own Noah???

Also loved how seamless the transitions between the D&D story and the "real world" were. The campaigned was treated like its own story and it felt very much like what its like to play D&D.

Nerdy Romance, yes please. I enjoyed this novel for the characters, the story and the beautiful cover (yes, can we take a moment to appreciate the truly beautiful cover, it has everything you need for this book; the FMC/MMC on a visually appealing colorful background with various dice and fantasy aspects going on, this is definitely a book that will be judged by its cover, and when it is, the reader will not be disappointed.)
While I’m not a D&D player my husband is, so there were so many aspects of this story I had a greater appreciation for. There are parts that may be confusing to those that aren’t familiar with tabletop gaming but ultimately we just have a nerdy love story with FMC Sadie and MMC Noah. We see the couple dealing with not just a romance (which is a slowburn) but also their careers and aspirations for the future.
What I really enjoyed about “Roll for Romance” was the evolving relationship of Sadie and Noah and how they both seemed to bring out the best in each other.