Thank you Net Galley for giving me this ARC to read. I really enjoyed this sweet and funny romance. The story starts with Sadie going to Texas to see her friend Liam. Sadie has just lost her job in marketing and is feeling a little lost. To help Sadie get to know people and out of her room, Liam ask Sadie to join him and his friends playing Dungeons and Dragons. Liams group of friends provides Sadie with a found family and a love of Heller, Texas. While playing the game, Sadie rediscovers her love of artistic pursuits and falls in love with Noah. Noah and Sadie have a sweet and slow burn romance that is shown though Sadie's story and through the Dungeons and Dragons storyline. I would recommend this romance as it's a fast-paced romance with plenty of heart and humor.

Published on Instagram/Goodreads on February 8, 2025.

After experiencing a burnout that led to depression, Sadie leaves the fast-paced life of New York City for the slower rhythms of a small Texas town. Living with her best friend Liam, she’s eventually convinced to join his Dungeons & Dragons group, where she plays Jaylie, a priestess healer. As the game unfolds, Sadie’s character begins to develop feelings for Loren, a bard played by Noah. But is there something more to their connection in real life, or is she misinterpreting the situation?

This book offers a fresh take on familiar romance tropes. While it has all the elements of a typical romance novel, the incorporation of a DND game adds a unique twist. The narrative offers two storylines—one set in real life and the other within the game—which was fascinating to follow. It was exciting to see how the characters’ development in the game paralleled their personal growth in the real world.

Though the pacing was a bit slower at the start, it never became boring. By the end, I was equally invested in the fates of the in-game characters as I was in the romance between Sadie and Noah. The book also leaves a storyline involving a side character unresolved, which hints at a potential sequel. If there is another book, it will definitely be going straight onto my TBR!

This book would be great for readers who enjoy romance novels with a unique twist.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced reader copy in exchange for honest feedback.

A delight!!! So smart to have them fall for each other in the game and in real life and seeing how they interplayed. Also deeply loved the friendships and how they were explored.

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group, NetGalley, and Lenora Woods for allowing me to read an advanced reader copy of Roll For Romance.

Final Rating: 5 ⭐️

If you love D&D, this book is for you. If you know nothing about D&D, this book will make you want to play.

I absolutely adored this book. I wanted it to be 600 pages so I could continue to hang out with these characters. I loved the dual perspective following Sadie, our main character, and Jaylie, her d&d character. There was such a unique writing style to this book and it made it unputdownable.

Watching our two main characters fall in love in game and above table was so magical and this book unlocked a love of the golden retriever x golden retriever trope for me. I truly loved every minute of reading this book, and it was the perfect combination of all the things I love in a romance novel. If you are looking for a fun light read, I highly highly recommend checking this out.

This has become an all time favorite for me, and I’ve already preordered a physical copy for when the book releases.

This deliciously nerdy romance left me giggly and smiling with every page I turned. Exploring their romance in-game and real life, Sadie and Noah are delightful. An excellent choice for romance readers looking to branch out and test the waters in fantasy.

For you if you like: healthy communication, MMCs golden retriever energy, nerd culture, and a touch of spice.

I loved the back and forth between every day, life and the DnD adventure that characters were playing. How the game impacted their interactions with one another. The supportive relationship between Sadie and her best friend was heart warming and the slow burn between Sadie and Noah was adorable. I loved reading two characters falling in love with each other and the small town in Texas they had moved to, discovering that their new friends and the adventure they went on together was the path they wanted for their lives.

4.5 ⭐️ This book was delightful! As a DnD fan and something of a nerd myself, I very much enjoyed the characters and the adorable story of Sadie, Noah, and friends. The burnout storyline was compelling and I really felt for Sadie’s character.

I thought the way that the DnD sessions were presented as their own story was unique and kept me invested.

The cover is also PERFECTION! No notes.

I’ll take 12 more, thanks!

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC!

I dnf this book. It was good at frist but jumping in and out if the game was to much. I think it would have been better if they would have not falling in love in game and outside of the game.

so cute and nerdy GAHH everything about this book was perfect and i will be screaming my love to the rooftops

This was such a cute book! Loved the small town, found family vibes. Adding in the DND story line alongside the main story added more depth to the characters. A great debut novel from Woods. Can't wait to see what else she is hopefully going to write.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced ready copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods was such a joy to read! As a fellow Dungeon and Dragons nerd I was immediately drawn by the cover dice and title of the book. I loved the relationship between Sadie (the FMC) and her best friend Liam who provides her with a place to stay after she losses her job and also introduces her to the world of D&D. As a romance book of course there is a relationship that develops between Sadie and Noah (the MMC) but it’s fairly mild on the heat level which I appreciated. My favorite aspect of this book is that it reignited my love for D&D and how it provides people with a way of becoming someone else or it’s a way to be the person. You’ve always wanted to be in a safe group. I really hope that there will be more books like this coming from this author… Maybe a Renaissance fair themed one?? Either way I highly recommend this book!

This is a Hallmark daydream for immersive rpg game players! Sadie and Noah’s story had me hooked and rooting for them from the first roll of the dice!

This past year I have grown to love D&D and everything this game/world includes. Making a romance book with these sweet characters that have incredible chemistry was chef kiss. This book was everything I wanted it to be and more. I can’t recommend enough. SO CUTE.

This book hit hard for both the nerd and romantic in me. I could not put this one down. With both the D&D world and the real world storylines, it flowed perfectly and kept my attention 100%. It was witty and funny, I was kicking my legs with a shit eating grin through the whole book. This is one I will reread over and over and recommend to anyone who will listen. I can feel the love the author put into this work and I will be adding all future books to my TBR! Thanks for letting me read this title!!

Thank you to NetGalley & Random House Publishing for the ARC!

Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods immediately grasped my attention from the cover alone. It’s absolutely stunning, and for someone who judges books by their covers (sorry not sorry), this one hit the mark for me.

This book had two stories in one: the main act and the D&D act. As a reader, it was very very interesting to fall in and out of the two worlds. At first I found it to be a fun way of interacting with the Dungeons & Dragons world. To see how each character and campaign played out. But I won’t lie…it got a bit - dare I say - irritating after a while? I wanted to focus more on Noah & Sadie’s life rather than their imaginary. The campaign scenes seemed to drag on, and I found myself skipping over paragraphs to finish chapters quicker. HOWEVER, as irritating as it got, it didn’t deter me from reading. I have to give Lenora huge credit for thinking up and plotting out two stories in one.

This was a super cute read. Noah is such a golden retriever from the first time we meet him until we have to say goodbye. I love how he opens Sadie up to new adventures, giving her a reason to think long and hard about what she wants in her life. I love me some good heart-to-hearts with amazing life advice, and we got that with them. Their communication is wonderful, and I appreciate that so much.

Overall rating: 3.5/5 (rounded up to 4 for Goodreads)
Spice: 1.5/5

This was a fun geeky read!! Definitely give this a go even if you’re not familiar with D&D. It’s very beginner friendly. Portions of the book are in the pov’s of their D&D characters. So there is even a bit of cozy fantasy in there as well.

Rounded up to 4 stars but it’s more of a 3.5 stars personally.

Thanks for the arc! 🥰

Before we get to the nitty gritty, big Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC! Thoughts and feelings below are my own.

First off I want to mention I have never played DnD in my life. I knew of its existence but never found myself leaning to learn more. Well now I can say I’m definitely growing to be a bigger fan. I just finished reading a week earlier Kristy Boyce’s “Dating and Dragons” and loved it. Then immediately went into an arc of “Roll for Romance” and could not stop smiling and swooning the entire time while reading. So for fans that want a more “adultier” version of Kristy Boyce’s DnD YA RomCom. Lenora Woods has the perfect book for you!

“Roll for Romance” is a cozy romcom about rediscovering who you are and where you are meant to be. The book is also filled with an adorable slow burn romance between Sadie & Noah. The chemistry and attraction between these two is off the charts. I do wish we would’ve had a little bit more spice between the two. Regardless I still adore them.

I think my only gripe was the campaign itself. As someone that’s new to DnD I found it to be quite lengthy and at times a little confusing. Eventually I got the hang of it, but it definitely took me about 40% in to really get the hang of it.

Overall though, I thoroughly enjoy this book and will 100% be recommending it. Please check out “Roll for Romance” when it releases July 2025!

Roll for Romance is a mix of a feel good romcom and a fantasy adventure all in one! I love how many books are coming out with DnD plots and this really took the cake for me. I loved each character and was so invested in the actual fantasy game plot line as well, such a great mix of tension and comedic relief! All the characters were so endearing, both the real ones and the fantasy ones.

I made it through 25% before I had to DNF.

Although I wanted to get into this, I was not vibing with how the fantasy parts were written. I was expecting it to be more DND technical, but it wasn't. And I also could not really understand the main character's motivations, and things just felt off in the writing. DNF'd at 25%

Have you ever read a book and found yourself thinking—I wonder what it’d be like to actually play Dungeons & Dragons? The answer is probably no, and I felt the exact same way… until I read Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods.

Sometimes, you just need a nerdy, cute love story to take a break from everything happening in the world, and this book was exactly that—a fun, refreshing, and heartwarming read. Woods masterfully blends romance with the immersive world of D&D, creating a story that plays out both in real life and in the game. I found myself fully invested in both storylines, watching Sadie and Noah’s chemistry grow not only through their real-life interactions but also through their in-game personas, Jaylie and Loren.

The dual-layered storytelling was a delight, especially for someone new to D&D themes in fiction. If you’re a fan of cozy fantasy and looking to dip your toes into romance, this book is a fantastic gateway. The writing was engaging, the characters charming, and the overall experience left me wanting more. Will this be a series? If so, count me in!

Final Thoughts: Roll for Romance is a perfect blend of geeky fun, heartfelt romance, and self-discovery. Whether you're a longtime D&D fan or a total newbie, this book is a critical hit!

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for the advanced copy.