Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!
3.5 stars rounded down

This was a strange book for me. Why? Because my favorite things in this romance book was basically everything except the real life romance xD I cheered on Sadie as she figured out her new place in life, loved the depiction of how you can just gradually burn out rather than one life-shattering event occurring, and I was soooo invested in the D&D campaign. I can see why some may not love the way the real story pauses for basically whole chapters of seeing the D&D campaign through Jaylie's eyes, but I enjoyed that, especially since it was used in the end to reflect back on real-world happenings.

There were moments I enjoyed the romance between Noah and Sadie, but overall... The pairing just wasn't for me? That's not to say it's a bad one. I just couldn't feel the chemistry, personally. The bantering never bantered enough for me. I think this just wasn't a couple that speaks to me, personally, but I can totally see and understand why others would love them.

Overall, though, despite my disconnect from the romance, I enjoyed the story, and I do recommend it for any fellow nerdy romance lovers.

This was a cute, cozy book. I was relieved it worked out for the characters. I found both the storylines entertaining but I personally enjoyed the contemporary plot more than the fantasy one.

Roll for Romance follows Sadie as she spends a summer in Texas after experiencing burnout at her job in NYC. While staying with her childhood best friend, she agrees to play D&D with him and some other locals. When a specific player catches her attention and the romance unfolds, Sadie starts to question if her career in NYC is the right one for her.

I loved the characters in this book! They were funny and realistic (in a light hearted way), and I especially loved their D&D characters.
I actually really liked how the author wrote the scenes of D&D into the book. So it was like a mini fantasy story within the book. I think it was done so well and I never felt like it was weird or too much! And I think the author explained just enough about D&D to make sense of the game to someone who has never played it (like myself) without being overwhelming.

Overall the book was fun while still giving depth with the introspective dilemma Sadie was having with her career. I think having dual POVs would have made this book better for me because I didn't feel connected to Noah at all (even though he seemed nice and very hot). I think I needed more conversations about their relationship on page or dual POV to really buy into his feelings for Sadie.

I will definitely recommend this book to others who like light hearted romance with spice and depth!

Roll For Romance is a cute, quirky story about Sophie, a savvy, artsy city girl finding her way in small town Texas after losing her job in the Big Apple. With the help of her friend, Liam, she finds herself in a D&D group where she’s immediately intrigued by Noah, a mysterious, charismatic stranger who also is new to town. Sophie and Noah grow close in their real lives as well as in the game while juggling all their lives are throwing at them.

I wa so excited to be given this ARC! I loved the idea of telling a love story with a game. I thought the author was exceptional at describing the scenes within the D&D world and the back and forth between worlds and characters was a fun, unique element. While I had a hard time connecting with any of the characters (except Liam. ILY.), their struggles and individuality felt real. I just didn’t feel a connection to them or the love story.

I had such high hopes for this one, but dnf'd after chapter three. The Sadie was whinny and immature and Noah felt too charming, almost unrealistic. I wanted to love this as my husband is a gamer, but I couldn't get past the chingy dialogue. It read like a YA book.

This is the perfect book for romance readers and those who have dabbled or have an interest in D&D. The way that these two elements intertwine in this story was perfect. I loved watching Sadie and her D&D character, Jaylie, rediscover the world around them. Sadie has my entire heart and I felt so seen by the struggles she faced trying to figure out what direction she should take her life. The D&D campaign grew with Sadie's self discovery and brought her closer to a cocky bard, Loren. Aka Noah in real life. There were so many scenes between Noah and Sadie that had me kicking my feet and giggling. There was just something about their love story that felt so real and raw. Noah was so supportive of Sadie and it really let her shine as a character. It was so adorable how their feelings started to show in their D&D characters first which made it all the sweeter when they got together in real life. This story is an inspiring tale of choosing what makes makes you light up inside no matter how the dice roll.

It was cute! Wasn’t expecting to enjoy it as much as I did. I liked the small town feel and the love between the characters. Especially as they fell in love in the game.

𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 was a critical hit 🎲🎲

I couldn’t not make that pun for all the d&d lovers 🤭

But seriously, what a refreshing read!

With 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, you not only get a sweet and cozy romance story, you also get an exciting and adventurous d&d campaign!

you can expect:
✨ small town vibes
✨ found family
✨ dungeons and dragons
✨ tandem stories
✨ cozy, sweet and quirky romance

I was caught off guard by the tandem stories but fell in love with both stories and the format of this book.

The heart of 𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 is about rediscovering who you are and where you want to be. It’s also bursting at the seams with the slow burn and undeniable chemistry between Noah and Sadie.

𝗿𝗼𝗹𝗹 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 Was an instant five star for me, leaving me wanting to read anything that Lenora Woods puts out.

Thank you Dell Romance for the eARC 🫶🏻

I think this one is great for the right audience, and unfortunately it wasn’t me. If you love RPG and D&D style games then this would be great for you. I have no experience with them and the integrated storytelling worked well and put you in the scene, but coming out of it felt very stilted for me.

Again, this book is niche and its intended audience is going to love this blend!

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc and opportunity to read it!

I LOVED that we got to actually go on the D&D quest with the characters. In most stories the games is kind of glazed over but I was so excited we got to experience the quest! It added such a fantastical layer to this already awesome romance. Sadie and Noah are coming from to very different lives and somehow find themselves at the same D&D table. They are figuring out real life and dangerous quests, but it doesn’t seem all that different because sometimes real life can be scary. These two on their journey to figure it out is so sweet and a bit spicy!💕 Such a good story and really fun to read.

I’m a sappy person, so it’s no surprise that I teared up reading the acknowledgments. Woods thanks all the usual suspects—editors, agents, family—and then gives a special shoutout to the people she’s rolled dice with, saying, “because there is no greater joy than telling stories with your friends.” That line alone won me over.

I picked this up as a D&D nerd, a Critical Role addict, and a lover of romcoms, and Roll for Romance did not disappoint. Woods’ characters are fun and relatable, and the story-within-a-story—told through graph paper, dice rolls, and improv—adds an extra layer of excitement to the romance. It was a quick, charming read that had me reminiscing about my own campaigns with friends. Honestly, this group could have been us… except all our couples were already together before we started rolling dice!

Beyond the nerdy elements I latched onto immediately, the book also perfectly captures that summer after senior year feeling—being an adult but not quite knowing what to do with the rest of your life. In Sadie’s case, she had it all figured out until she lost her dream job in NYC. Now, small-town Texas (complete with a lovable best friend) gives her the space to sort things out—without needing to consult her cleric’s deity for guidance.

The story itself is sweet, but if you’ve ever scoffed at someone for playing D&D, this might not be your cup of tea (unless you’re looking for a redemption arc?). However, if you do love D&D and a good slow-burn nerdy romance, roll for initiative. <3

Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC to review.

I fell in love with the cover and I knew I had to get my hands on it. When I got approved, I screamed.

This book is everything I needed and more. Sadie is such a great complex character trying to find her way and trying to figure out what the right thing to do is. Noah is so incredibly laid back but my mans is supportive as fuck.

The romance is so gradually and so authentic. Even though the book is only in Sadie's POV, I felt like I was getting everything I needed. There was never a time where I felt like I was unsure of Noah or his intentions. I love how they communicated with each other.

The D&D aspects were so interesting to me! I loved being in that headspace and I think Lenora did a great job bringing the game to life and made it easy to follow along for someone not very familiar with the game.

This is definitely a top read for me this year!

As a DnD player, I loved how Roll for Romance gave me two stories in one—Sadie and Noah’s real-world romance, and Jaylie and Loren’s in-game adventures. Watching the characters work through their issues by being honest with each other, both in the game and IRL, was so fun! If you enjoyed Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce, Lenora Woods’ book is the perfect next step for fans who want a more mature take on DnD romcoms.

This is a sweet, slow-burn romance with lots of chemistry. While I would’ve loved a bit more spice between them, I still adored them. The DnD campaign was hit or miss for me. Since I have been around the game, I think a lot of the fun is working through the game logistics and working together to come up with a plan and while being immersed in the game's story was nice, I would have loved to see more of the behind the scenes.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Sadie’s character arc was really well developed, and I loved seeing the story through her DnD character’s eyes. My only complaint is that Noah felt a bit flat, and the pacing felt a little slow at times. I do appreciate that decisions made for their personal lives were not impacted by their romance and it felt more realistic due to this.

Can’t wait to see more from Lenora Woods in the future!

Listen, if I wanted to read a mediocre romantasy I would simply pick up a mediocre romantasy. I wasn't a fan of the D&D game storyline playing out as full blown chapters of a fantasy story. I am a big enjoyer of D&D media and have even loved two other D&D themed romances (Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce and Taking Initiative by Elle Stewart) so it's not that I'm against D&D or fantasy in general. What didn't work for me here was that by having the in-game story be so immersive, we lose out on what I find so fundamentally wonderful about the game itself - the connection between the players as they go on these adventures together. And especially in a romance where we are supposed to believe that two of them are making a ~connection~ both in-game and irl I find it a weird choice to not see those characters actually having interactions around the table. YMMV, obviously, some people will love this dual story situation, but it was a choice that didn't work for me.

This was such a cute read! I loved the friend group and how the reader got to watch the group develop and grow together both in real life and in the D&D world! Noah and Sadie were so cute throughout the book. I thought that swapping the storyline from the real world to the D&D world was really effective in allowing the reader to connect with the characters and was really cool. I loved the different formatting throughout, whether it was the D&D storyline, the fanfiction storyline, and the real life storyline. Defintely check this one out when it releases in July!

Thank you Netgalley and Dell for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review!

‘Roll for Romance’ was seriously an amazing debut! The chemistry was perfect right from the start. Noah and Sadie were such a breath of fresh air, I really appreciated how supportive they were of each other. The spice was brief which is great for people who prefer books without it. I also loved the genre bending! Reading through the lens of their DnD game as if it was its own fantasy was great to introduce new Romantasy readers without heavy world building. All around a great story that I truly savored!

This was such a cute and fun - nerdy read! I don’t play D&D myself but this is my third book I’ve read with that as a heavy theme and I just love reading books with that incorporated.

I really enjoyed this creative story style the author chose. I liked the back and forth with the inclusion of the D&D game. The main characters were well thought out and had me rooting for them from the first meeting! I highly recommend!

Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for providing me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I had so much fun with this book. It was the perfect amount of wholesome and sweetness. I appreciated how the author took such care in talking about anxiety and the importance of a friend group/found family to help navigate the uncertainty of big life changes.

My geeky heart was so happy reading a book that’s based on DnD. The way the campaign was integrated into the main story was especially charming.

I will definitely pick up more from Lenora Woods in the future!

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing for sending me this ARC, all opinions are my own!

I really enjoyed this book! I have never actually played DND, but I’ve always wanted to learn how to. I was a little worried that I wouldn’t understand some of the terms in the book since I’d never played DND, but the author did a great job of explaining everything! You don’t feel left out or wondering what the author refers to when discussing DND and the terms within the game.


The book follows Sadie, who recently was fired from her job in New York. Sadie decides to take time for herself and goes to Texas and stays with her friend Liam whom she’s been friends with since High School. Liam’s only stipulation for Sadie to live with him is that Sadie has to play DND with some new friends he made. The story follows the storyline of Sadie and her relationship with everyone in their DND group as well as their campaign in DND.

I liked how the chapters followed Sadie, but we also got to see the point of view of the campaign they were doing. It was so cool to see what their characters in DND were doing, and also what their relationship with each other in the game vs real life was like. I know that hearing the storyline in the game might not be for everyone, but I enjoyed it. It was like hearing two different stories in one book.

I really liked that the romance wasn’t between the two friends, Liam and Sadie. I’m over the whole ‘she moves in with her best friend and they just happen to fall in love and live happily ever after.’ It’s overdone, and I’m glad that the love interest was someone else. I loved the relationship between Noah and Sadie. They honestly were so cute together, and I loved how at first she did not want to admit that he was cute and someone that she liked. It was also cute to see their relationship grow within the DND game as well. I kept rooting for them the whole time, hoping that it would work out for them.

Overall it was a really cute book that I would give 4/5 stars!