Thank You, HarperCollins and NetGalley for this ARC.

I honestly didn;t like that book. Despite the fact that the characters were suppsoed to be in their late 20s, they acted like teenagers. FMC relied on astrology and tarot cards to do every single thing, and MMC acted both hot and cold with FMC, it was very chaotic.

And don't even get me started on her ex and ex-best friend. WHY don't FMCs have any backbone when they're faced with someone who betrayed them? Why couldn't she just say no when they invited her to the wedding? Why would she say yes? For heaven's sake, just say no. You don't owe them anything. They betrayed you. Saying no is normal, easy, and REQUIRED. Just. Say. No. I mean she's almost 30 for Heaven's sake, what a 30-year-old-woman would go to her ex's wedding? Especially when said ex was cheating on her with ex-friend? To see her other friends? Babe, you told us all of your friends already knew and none of them told you. Seriously, saying no is EASY.

There must have been a better reason to make Amy and Phil fake date that didn't require her to have no backbone in the face of her ex and his new fiancee. For heaven's sake, saying no to that meeting in the first place should suffice.

Such a fun cozy read! If you love ren fairies, d&d , the fake dating trope, sweet cozy summer read! Date Knight is a perfect read for you!

I just loved this book.

Date Knight is such a fun mix of nerdy charm and heartfelt romance. Phil, a costume-designer/D&D enthusiast caring for his grandmother, teams up with Amy—his best friend’s little sister—for a fake-dating scheme that quickly turns into something real.

I loved the banter, the cosplay/D&D vibes, and the way their relationship grew from awkward allies to genuine partners. The caregiving subplot with Phil’s grandma added unexpected emotional depth that balanced out the rom-com energy beautifully.

It’s a little uneven at times (the D&D chapters can feel confusing at first), but overall this is a cozy, geeky, slow-burn romance with plenty of heart. Perfect for fans of fake dating, found family, and nerdy love stories. 🎲❤️

Fake dating, Ren Faires, weekly D&D nights, too many responsibilities, and the nosiest group of friends all come together to make this book a sweet, cozy read.

Amy and Phil both struggle with being stuck in their own head, while also trying to carry not only their own problems but everyone else’s too. Watching them navigate their connection, the chaos of their lives, and the warmth of their community made for a heartfelt and charming story.

I loved reading about a friend group that felt like a reflection of my own, to be fair who doesn't love a group of messy nerds.

This was absolutely adorable! It's a fun romcom for lovers of fandoms like D&D. And it's great too if you're like me and you love the fake dating book trope. It's a lighthearted (with emotional depth), very cute summer romcom with a lovely dose of the found family trope as well!

Thank you so much to HarperCollins UK, One More Chapter for my ARC!

4/5

This book was okay. There were parts of it that resonated, the friend group, the MMCs struggle being a sole care giver for his grandmother with dementia, but there were also things that felt a little off. Especially the FMC who came out as being juvenile.

I also am not in to D&D so those references fell short.

I was really looking forward to Date Knight—being a needy gamer myself, the premise totally grabbed me. Plus, that cover is ridiculously cute and definitely sold me on giving it a try.
Unfortunately, the story just didn’t work for me. The romance felt very insta-lovey, and while I can appreciate a whirlwind connection, I found myself wishing for more build-up and chemistry before things escalated. The writing style also leaned a bit too much into a YA vibe, even though this is marketed as an adult romance. That mismatch made it hard for me to fully buy into the characters or their relationship.
There were a few sweet moments and little gamer references that I enjoyed, but overall it didn’t deliver what I was hoping for. A disappointing 2 stars from me, though I still think the concept had great potential.

Huge thank you to the publishers for my copie .

What such a fun romance read , I read the book in a few days , I can say it is such a delight, I thought Sam writing was perfect and so much fun so well paced. The characters I loved them all .

Got to be one of my favourite romcom this year

I'm giving the book 4.5 romance stars 🌟

4.5 stars!!!

This was such a cute read! It melted my heart from the very beginning. I loved the inclusion of the D&D chapters between both POVs, which beautifully connected the "real" with the "fantasy" sides of the story. This was my first Samantha Parks book, and now I definitely need to read the first in this series because I got so invested in the side characters, too!

I took off half a star because Amy and Phil sometimes felt a little immature in their fake relationship. A lot of their issues could have been solved with better communication. Still, I was very invested and didn’t want the story to end.

One thing I absolutely adored was how in tune Phil was with his emotions. He was a sewer who used his skills to surprise his girl. My heart also ached for him as he cared for his grandma too. The dementia subplot was handled so well, balancing the seriousness of the disease with tender moments of joy and laughter.

I was SO excited to be sent this book after receiving an arc for Roll for Romance earlier this year! That book had my little D&D nerdy heart soaring!

Phil, our MMC, and his experience with being a care-taker for his grandmother really hit home with my own personal life currently, though my experience is no where near the extreme his was. But all that to say, I connected to his character very very quickly.

The romance was pretty much immediate, and so was the fighting. I am a big tarot girl but Amy NEEDED to stop asking the cards and just see a therapist… like girl be so for real. Her character felt much younger than she actually was, and I found myself constantly reminding myself that she wasn’t 19.

Just like Roll for Romance, I loved the in-between chapters of campaign play!

Anyway, common with all of my other reviews, I LOVE A MAN WHO YEARNS!!!! Have we learned this about me yet? No? Ok I’ll continue to yell it where necessary. The banter was great, the constant need for “hate sex” was fun, but still, AMY GO TO THERAPY.

Thank you Netgalley, and the publisher, for providing me with an ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review. All thoughts are my own and are in no way influenced by early access to this title.

Super cute and super sweet read! It was maybe a bit too cutesy for me at times, but overall still an enjoyable read.

I enjoyed the unique mix of fake dating, brothers’ best friend tropes, and D&D role-playing in this lighthearted romance. Amy was lovely and relatable, but I found Phil really insufferable for the first several chapters—he did improve, but I never fully loved him. The book handles deeper themes like caregiving and personal stress well, and the unexpected POV chapters added extra immersion. A cute, thoughtful read, though not perfect for me.

⭐ 3 stars
💖 Tropes: Brother’s Best Friend, Fake Dating, Only One Bed, Found Family
🔥 Light romance with some emotional depth

In the second (standalone) book in the Roll for Romance series, readers follow Phil Own and Amy Evans as they reconnect back in their home town. Broken-hearted and invited to their D&D game, Amy has to struggle with keeping her childhood crush on Phil, her brother’s best friend, under wraps as they continue to spend more and more time together. Phil, on the other hand, is dealing with a lot, but he is in the right place to play the hero and help Amy when an unwelcome character turns up in town. Fake dating and spending more time together, the feelings on both sides might make things more complicated unless one of them admits the truth. Packed with details and alternating perspectives between Phil and Amy, readers will love the tropes and great chemistry in this emotional and entertaining new romance novel. The characters are the absolute stars of the book, and the different challenges really add opportunities for great character development. The emotional storyline is absolutely fantastic and well-written, while the larger storyline really pulls readers in with the incredible details and great character interactions and relationships. Brilliantly written, heartwarming, and charming, readers will love this fun and spicy romance novel from Sam Parks.

The title was cute...the cover was cute...the premise was interesting and I thought it would help me learn a bit more about the D&D community in a way that would make it more accessible for me to connect with my kids over...but it did not. I had a very difficult time connecting with the characters as people, especially the leading lady. Maybe it's a generational thing, but buck up, girl! Have some confidence!

This book was such a fun surprise! The cover pulled me in right away, and the premise "mixing role-playing games" with a fake-dating romance sounded amazing. And honestly, it was even better than I expected. Phil and Amy’s dynamic was hilarious and sweet at the same time. Their banter made me laugh, and the chemistry between them kept me turning the pages way past bedtime. I loved watching Phil step up as Amy’s “fake” boyfriend and slowly realize his feelings weren’t so fake after all. It’s the perfect mix of nerdy charm, romance, and humor, with just enough heart to make it really stick. By the end, I was grinning like crazy.If you want a rom-com that’s clever, playful, and full of heart, Date Knight definitely deserves a spot on your TBR.
Thanks to Netgalley, the author and the publishing house for this book.

I really loved the cover of this book, and the premise sounded so fun, a gamer hero stepping into a “fake dating” quest in real life? Totally my kind of setup. Unfortunately, the story itself didn’t hit me the way I hoped. Phil and Amy had potential, and I liked the idea of blending role-playing game vibes with romance, but I never fully connected with their chemistry or the plot. It felt a bit flat, and I found myself waiting for that spark that just didn’t come. The writing is light and easy, and some readers might find it charming, but for me, it just didn’t leave much of an impression. Sorry.
Thanks to the author, Netgalley and the publishing house for this book, in exchange of my honest opinion.

So to be honest I didn’t realise this was part of a series until writing this review but it stands alone really well which is a huge plus as I hate feeling like I’m missing chunks of a story.

Things I loved

-the mmc and fmc ages - I love it when a romance is between people closer to my own age mid twenties- early thirties.
-dual POVs - I loved flitting between Amy and Phil’s pov was fun but what really added to the experience was the D&D POVs
-care taker representation

This was a nice and easy romance the only I thing that made me cringe was the name Phil but only as it reminded me of my cousin each time I read it.

I requested this one not realising this was book 2, HOWEVER, I quickly realised you don’t need to have read book 1 first (I love a series of interconnected standalones!)

Packed with banter, chemistry, butterfly-inducing moments and a cast of interesting characters, for a lighthearted romance, this book still manages to delve into some deeper, emotional themes.

We have full-time carer rep as our MMC is wholly responsible for his Nan, Ethel, who is struggling with dementia. We get a look into how this can take its toll on the individual as well as those around them and I thought this was very well done.

I’m usually a hard pass on the miscommunication trope but it crops up in a very authentic way and builds tension throughout - I ate it up!

I also adored an unexpected POV chapter (I don’t want to spoil it), that cropped up every few chapters. I felt fully immersed!

This one is for lovers of
💕 Brother’s Best Friend
🗡️Only One Bed
💕 They both think they fall first
🗡️ Literal Knight in shining armour
💕Found Family
🗡️Fake Dating
💕Hot bearded nerdiness
🗡️Your heart flumping around in your chest because ✨FEELINGS✨

Phil Owen is super sweet and a delightful book boyfriend (or fake boyfriend in this case) and Amy's break up and loosing friends in the process felt heartbreakingly real. The fake dating troupe didn't feel forced between Phil and Amy then the slow burn felt very real because sometimes deciding to be with someone feels like it will have so many knock on consequences to everyones lives.

Samantha Parks has written a lovely RomCom which caught me in the feel while also telling the story of a very organic relationship. This was my first introduction to these characters but now I'm intrigued by Morgan and Jack's story.

All that being said I didn't enjoy the D&D chapters - I'm sure there were parallels with the main plot but I couldn't follow whose character was whose but this is probably personal preference and it is a 'Roll for Romance' series.

I love fake dating + nerd culture, so I was instantly attracted to this one. I didn't realize it was a sequel until I started reading, but since it centers a different couple from the first, it doesn't really matter. While I could see the clues that this is an established world, with many of the character relationships established in the first book, that didn't affect my reading at all.

[NOTE: Unless otherwise stated, my NetGalley feedback is not a blurb or endorsement. If a publisher wishes to use any part of my comments for promotional purposes, please contact me or my agent via email. I would prefer not to include star ratings but NetGalley won't let me post without one, so all will be 5 stars.]