(My first ARC review- please be kind. 😭💜💙)

Just finished “Roll for Romance” in the nick of time before it disappears from my @netgalley shelf. Like our beloved main character, Sadie, I have been experiencing massive burnout. So, it was quite healing to read a novel about reconnecting with life.

I loved the Dungeons & Dragons sections- dare I say, Jaylie and Loren’s romance may have moved me in a way that I haven’t experienced in a while.

This is definitely a book I will be ordering a physical copy for displaying proudly on my shelf.

Thank you to @lenorawoodswrites and @penguinrandomhouse for giving me a chance!

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for an advanced readers copy of this book.

This story was super cute - very fluffy, feel-good, minimal drama. (I love when we can skip the 3rd act break up, miscommunication, etc.) The reader does not need to have any knowledge of D&D to understand the game aspect of this book. However, reading this makes me want to find a D&D campaign to join.

I really loved how you're not just narrated through the characters' game play, but rather, transported into their D&D game. It's like two stories in one! A very cool concept to blend contemporary and fantasy.

📚Trope(s): Cinnamon Roll MMC, Independent FMC / Supportive MMC,
What you get: 🧝🏻‍♀️🧙🏻‍♂️⚔️🍺🏕️
⭐️Plot: 4/5
🔥Chemistry: 4/5
🌶️Spice: 3/5

The story in this book was really cute and I loved the journey the characters go on- I just think this book wasn't for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for a honest review! <3

I honestly loved this book so much. I love anything fantasy, and this was the type of cozy fantasy mixed with modern romance that I wanted. I love D&D, and I enjoyed all of the D&D elements in this book a lot. I feel like even if you don’t have a lot of knowledge of the game the author helps make it easy to understand. The romance was cute, I loved Sadie and Noah, and I loved the dual plot lines of their D&D campaign. Overall I enjoyed this book a lot and look forward to purchasing a copy when it releases :)

Unfortunately this book was not for me. It was hard for me to get through all the D&D story line. It’s very immersive and great with details but I was not vibing with the romance portion. I did DNF around 26%. I do think if you love D&D you will probably enjoy this book

When I say I thoroughly enjoyed this book... I MEAN it. Like I've not had as good of a time reading a rom com in a while as I did while reading this nerdy little novel. Like I'm unequivocally in love with our MMC, Noah. Nerdy? Hot? A bard? Insanely intentional? Encouraging? FUNNY? (again) a siLly SwEet bArD???? Say less. And the spicy bits we had an open door to definitely hit the spot for me. Lenora, bless you for all the tension you built into these pages, as well as the pay-off bits. I thought they were all perfect moments in my book!

Also, something I just HAVE to rave about for a second is the way the story so seamlessly would transition from in-campaign DND to the real world. I just adored watching the different friendships between the characters develop in and out of game. It made for such a fun read! I also really loved this found family friend group! Such a fun, supportive bunch!

On a more serious note, I really connected with Sadie's story of burnout at her previous job and felt very validated in the way she chose to take a step back when she needed to without having a game plan for her next step. Sometimes we don't have a game plan when making a big decision because we're imperfect and that's okay. Sometimes you find something you didn't know you needed along the way 😉

For fans of books like "Dungeons & Drama" by Kristy Boyce (of which I'm a huge fan 🥰). But who read it as were like "I'd love an Adult romance version" – this one's for you! And see you at the next ren faire 😉

Roll for Romance is for the fantasy readers!! This book follows Sadie, who has decided to spend the summer in Texas with her best friend, Liam, after losing her job in the big city. Wanting to recharge herself, she agrees to join Liam and a few other people in playing a D&D campaign. Throughout the campaign, the reader is able to join Sadie on the adventure as her character and see the story outside of the campaign as Sadie struggles to find the sprinkle of happiness and love.
While reading, the setting and atmosphere quickly sweeps the reader up in a big hug. Sadie, as a character, struggled to find her creative outlet, which I connected with so much. Struggling with wanting to do something you love for a living and wanting to do something in order to survive, was also a key point in the story. There's also a cute romance with a manbun bearded redhead, named Noah, who is a new D&D player, and the ultimate extroverted partner Sadie needs. The man was so sweet and encouraging with Sadie. However, I did find their relationship sudden and didn't really grow enough or build.
All in all, rejoice D&D followers, this super adorable romance is one for you! Roll for Romance released July 15, 2025! Thank you to Dell Romance for an arc copy!

This book was fun, but the concept was better than the execution. I enjoyed the DND portions of the book so much but both the romance between the mains and the romance between their DND counterparts felt incredibly rushed and neither were really believable. Noah felt flaky and I didn't believe he was really invested in the relationship. Overall it was a really fun read, unlike anything I've read before, but the characters fell a little flat to me.

Something about a dungeons and dragons romance will always pull me in! In my experience these books have the best characters and the cutest romances. Loved it!

DNF at 12%

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the eARC. Unfortunately this did not work at all for me.

So, this FMC has gone to anime conventions and cosplayed but doesn’t know that a 17 is a good roll for a d20? Also, this is a group of newbies playing D+D. It doesn’t quite make sense why the world is intensely immersive while IN the pov of the FMC’s character. Unless she had read a ton of lore, it doesn’t really feel like this is a newbie game and this isn’t a typical newbie experience? I have only played a few times and while I adored playing, this is just so over-the-top that I couldn’t enjoy it. I didn’t even want to read the second in-game chapter because honestly I didn’t care about their story. 🤷‍♀️ And this is coming from a fantasy reader 😂

This is getting critical below hahaha
Also… just pointing out: the FMC goes over her expenses after her lay off. She says nothing about any severance payout nor any unemployment paychecks. Even if her massive marketing company didn’t give her a severance (which I DOUBT), she would still have unemployment which is typically half her salary. That feels like it would be a LOT more than her selling her artwork. 🤷‍♀️ It just seems like the author has never been laid off before and has no idea what actually happens when you get laid off from a huge company.

Anyway, this one just isn’t for me and I’m calling it quits.

I love a good DnD story, and Roll for Romance was everything I hoped it would be! This book was really unique in the way that Woods created a fantasy storyline for the DnD game within the book, and it was really well done and seamless between the two stories!

Our two main characters, Sadie and Noah, were so cute and I loved watching them flirt and fall in love both in the main story and within the DnD storyline. Their communication was so refreshing, and I really liked how real their romance felt.

This was such a sweet & nerdy romance, and I’ll definitely pick up the next book Woods writes!

Things I loved:
- finding yourself again
- slow burn
- found family
- cozy vibes
- story within a story

Thank you to Ballantine for an early copy of this book!

I love stories about nerdy people who have the same interests as I do. Sadie loves to draw and get roped in to playing DnD with her best friend. Stepping into a new world and making up stories inside of it is truly such a blast to do and I love reading about others having fun as well. I enjoyed the way that instead of us reading them playing with them calling out rolls and such, we just got passages of their in world stories. Occasionally, the relationships seemed a little young for the 30 Something's they are but I still had a lot a fun reading it

This book was very well written; however, I don’t think this book was for me. It was very D&D heavy. I know what feels like enough about D&D but clearly I didn’t know enough for this book. I unfortunately had to DNF at 27%. I kept reading in hopes the actual romance would make it worth it, but the D&D sessions were very lore heavy. It felt like I was reading two different books combined into one. And as someone who realized their D&D knowledge was limited, it felt like I was vaguely being excluded. The writing and general romance plot was good! Like I said it was unfortunately too D&D heavy for me, I think this would best suit those who have a better understanding of D&D or actively play. I will definitely recommend to my fellow booksellers but for me it simply didn’t work. Hope to see more from this author!

Calling all fantasy lovers and D&D fans! I just finished this adorable future summer read, Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods. If you're a die-hard romantasy fan or discovered the genre through Fourth Wing dragons and ACOTAR, add this one to your TBR list!

The story features classic tropes like found family, a struggling FMC at a crossroads, and a golden retriever MMC. But what sets it apart is the dual perspective with the D&D campaign. The D&D characters are as important to the story as the people playing the game!

If you're looking for a medium spicy romance that isn't sports-themed, love Ali Hazelwood's STEM romances, and want a quick read that feels a bit different, give this one a try! Publishes on July 15, 2025.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the opportunity to read and review Roll for Romance!

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Such a cute book! Loved both storylines! Sadie had great growth throughout the story and found herself. I loved following along in both worlds. I was so excited to be able snag this early!

This. Was. So. GOOD!

I'm not the biggest romance reader but give me a dnd-themed romance any day and I will gobble that ish up! I've been wanting a really great adult romance in this niche genre and Woods delivered. A romance where the leads aren't just romancing on page but they're DND characters are ALSO romancing?!?! And we get the entire campaign written as it's own fantasy story woven throughout? UGH this was just so so great. There was so much I loved about this one let me see if I can make any of it coherent...

What I loved:
- Taking the dnd sessions and making them their own story-within-a-story was so brilliant.
- A story heavy dnd campaign versus a combat heavy one which we love to see
- Sadie's story was so relatable. A lot of us have this ideal in our minds of what we're supposed to want from our careers and it often times leads to unhappiness and burnout.
- Woods handled the mental health issues that Sadie processed through this journey with care. The anxiety was real and well written.
- Found family friend group
- LOVED that there was not a third act breakup! And that our characters were able to decide for themselves and didn't sacrifice for each other
- Noah was such a cozy FMC
- OMG the fan-fic story writing of their characters romance was SO NERDY and so believable and so swoony
- Loved that this didn't end with professions of love, an engagement, and an epilogue with 2.5 kids. It's the start of their relationship and that's enough.

Simply perfection. Especially as a debut this was outstanding. I hope Woods writes more like this - but maybe she hinted at a follow up with Liam's story????!?!?!?!?! All the stars.

This was a fun and sweet book that took you from a time of self reflection and exploration to a newfound family and friend group. I feel overall that the stories pacing was good.
The characters had depth and fun. Well, I have read some fantasy. I typically don’t read that much in the sub story within the D&D role-playing were hard for me to really get into and enjoy. I found myself pacing through quickly in order to get back to the main story. Although it wasn’t necessarily for me, I do appreciate the fun and different style of the author was bringing. Sometimes I’m OK with stories with stories and have enjoyed them in the past, but this one was the struggle. This is the whole book that I’m reading on. I’m actually going to be reducing a little bit because of that.

Roll for Romance is a total delight—a charming, nerdy, heart-swoony romance that had me smiling from start to finish! Lenora Woods blends the magic of tabletop gaming with a tender love story full of chemistry, quirks, and emotional depth.

The dynamic between the main characters is adorable and electric. You can feel the slow-burn tension building with each chapter, and the payoff is so worth it. I loved how the story explored vulnerability, found family, and embracing your passions unapologetically. It’s sweet, a little spicy, and filled with geeky charm.

Perfect for fans of romance that’s both heartfelt and fun, with a sprinkle of dice-rolling destiny. I can’t wait to have this my shelf.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

This book was fun—from the adorable story to the stunning cover that practically called out to my geeky soul! I loved how immersive the D&D element was. Instead of just watching the characters role-play, the book drops us right into fantasy-style chapters, making it feel like a story within a story. Honestly, if the author ever wanted to go full fantasy, I’d be so on board!

Now, confession time: I’ve never played D&D myself (shocking, I know), but I know plenty of people who love it. Despite my total lack of experience, I had no trouble following along, and I found the gameplay sections to be a fun and unexpected highlight.

As for the romance… it didn’t quite hit for me. Noah and Sadie had their moments, but I never fully felt their chemistry. The banter could have had a bit more spark, and Sadie’s immaturity sometimes made it tough to root for her.

That being said, this book had a little bit of everything: real-life connections, role-playing mischief, and just enough adventure to keep things moving. The way it flipped between everyday life and the D&D campaign was a clever touch, adding depth and plenty of nerdy charm. While I personally found the back-and-forth structure a bit distracting, I can’t deny that the campaign itself was where the author really shined—it was hands down the best part of the book!

If you love cozy rom-coms packed with geeky goodness and don’t mind familiar tropes, this could still be a win for you. While the romance didn’t fully click for me, I’d absolutely recommend it to fellow nerdy romance lovers—especially those who appreciate a well-crafted fantasy twist!

What to Expect:
🤍 A Very Flirty Bard
🤍 Small Town Romance
🤍 Sunshine LI
🤍 Fantasy in-game interludes
🤍 Height Difference
🤍 Falling in love in-game and out
🤍 Meddling D&D Group
🤍 Only One Bed
🤍 Found Family
🤍 Role-playing

Thank you to Lenora Woods, the author, Dell and Random House Publishing Group, and NetGalley for the ARC opportunity.

This dual story line where the D&D characters sort of mirror real life was a fun, easy read. After losing her job in New York and entering depression, Sadie is off to spend time with her BFF Liam in Texas for some healing. Liam puts together a gaming group and relationships, both romantic and friendly, develop.

The D&D story is a lot more involved in this book and not just a side to the plot.
The drawback to having two concurrent stories is that we don’t get to delve too deep into either set of characters. I will definitely check out any future books this author publishes.

Quick notes: contemporary, friends-to-lovers, open door but light on the spice, D&D

Thank you Random House Publishing Group for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.