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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Thank you to Dell Romance for the advance reader copy and to PRH Audio for the complimentary audiobook. These opinions are my own.
This romance features two people, Sadie and Noah, who get to know each other as they both begin playing D&D for the first time. The novel features a fantasy story within a romance story as a bit of a two-for.
I really loved the D&D quest and characters. But I struggled a little with learning the names of all the characters and their corresponding players. Once I had those down, the two stories wove together and informed each other incredibly well.
I especially loved the friend group and the journeys of self-discovery. I want Liam to be my best friend. The language used throughout ("Roll with advantage, Sadie" "charisma check" etc.) really added to the role playing feel. Ellie Gossage further helped me feel immersed in the story through her excellent narration of the many different characters in both worlds.
The acknowledgements made me tear up. They are a beautiful ode to everyone who adventures through this life together.
Rating: 3.5 stars
This book did a really great job of balancing romance and the fantasy that is DnD. The best part is that you don't need to understand the rules of DnD to understand the DnD storyline because the narrative is really done. As an avid DnD player, this book scratched both my DnD and romance itch. I loved the friend group dynamics and it truly did mimic that of an actual DnD party. The reason I didn't rate it higher because the pacing was a bit slow and the characters felt a little flat and manufactured at times. It still overall was a great read!
This book did a really great job of balancing romance and the fantasy that is DnD. The best part is that you don't need to understand the rules of DnD to understand the DnD storyline because the narrative is really done. As an avid DnD player, this book scratched both my DnD and romance itch. I loved the friend group dynamics and it truly did mimic that of an actual DnD party. The reason I didn't rate it higher because the pacing was a bit slow and the characters felt a little flat and manufactured at times. It still overall was a great read!
โญ 4.25
๐ถ๏ธ 1
๐ฅต Spicy chapters: 22, 27
๐ Tropes/Themes: found family, d&d, Golden Retriever MMC, dual realities, meddling friend groups, finding yourself, slow burn,
๐ Single POV 3rd person
๐ฌ I really enjoyed this book, it was so sweet and adorable. Almost makes me want to play D&D ๐
So many cute things I loved:
- Noah's swoony golden retriever-y wanderlust personality
- The jumps between the main story (real life) and the D&D game narration
- Noah and Sadie's story written "in real time"
- I'm a sucker for proposals but I like that this ended without that, that their HEA hadn't gotten there yet.
- The suggested book club discussion questions, Alchemised's bar menu and Liam's character questions at the end
And then just the slow burn romance between the MCs ๐ฅน Noah actually reminds me of a guy that I had the biggest crush on in college so it's safe to say that I would accept him as a book boyfriend LOL
I do wish there had been more backstory to the characters though, especially because it took a while to learn anything about Noah.
๐ถ๏ธ 1
๐ฅต Spicy chapters: 22, 27
๐ Tropes/Themes: found family, d&d, Golden Retriever MMC, dual realities, meddling friend groups, finding yourself, slow burn,
๐ Single POV 3rd person
๐ฌ I really enjoyed this book, it was so sweet and adorable. Almost makes me want to play D&D ๐
So many cute things I loved:
- Noah's swoony golden retriever-y wanderlust personality
- The jumps between the main story (real life) and the D&D game narration
- Noah and Sadie's story written "in real time"
- I'm a sucker for proposals but I like that this ended without that, that their HEA hadn't gotten there yet.
- The suggested book club discussion questions, Alchemised's bar menu and Liam's character questions at the end
And then just the slow burn romance between the MCs ๐ฅน Noah actually reminds me of a guy that I had the biggest crush on in college so it's safe to say that I would accept him as a book boyfriend LOL
I do wish there had been more backstory to the characters though, especially because it took a while to learn anything about Noah.
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Obsessed. This nerdy and adorable romance absolutely gets a 5 star rating for me for all the vibes. If you e liked over D&D reads like Dungeons and Drama highly recommend! One could say it landed a critical hit on me ๐
Sadie has lost her job in the city she always dreamed of living in and with it her purpose. She finds herself in Texas living with best friend Liam as she tries to right the ship. Liam keeps her going with errands, local recommendations, and a game of D&D with other first timers. What starts as a silly game to appease Liam becomes a life changing adventure. New friends, an unexpected swoony bard, and a rekindled love for her art all have Sadie second guessing what she wants for her life.
I absolutely loved how this alternates between their D&D game/story and real life so much. It was fun to get the fantasy vibes and see how their characters played out while following the real world. Sadie and Noah were just so sweet together, it wasnโt overly fussy or complicated, it just felt real and relatable. I just adored it so much ๐ฅน
Thank you to a NetGalley and Ballantine for the eARC!
Sadie has lost her job in the city she always dreamed of living in and with it her purpose. She finds herself in Texas living with best friend Liam as she tries to right the ship. Liam keeps her going with errands, local recommendations, and a game of D&D with other first timers. What starts as a silly game to appease Liam becomes a life changing adventure. New friends, an unexpected swoony bard, and a rekindled love for her art all have Sadie second guessing what she wants for her life.
I absolutely loved how this alternates between their D&D game/story and real life so much. It was fun to get the fantasy vibes and see how their characters played out while following the real world. Sadie and Noah were just so sweet together, it wasnโt overly fussy or complicated, it just felt real and relatable. I just adored it so much ๐ฅน
Thank you to a NetGalley and Ballantine for the eARC!
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
SO I have never played DND, but WOW did I love this book! I was worried going into it I would not like that aspect as much and worried Iโd be bored by it. But I found myself just as invested in the DND campaign as I was in the main story!
Our main character Sadie is struggling after loosing her job in NYC and is now living with her best friend for the summer in his small town in Texas. He is hosting a new DND campaign for first timers and she joins in, unexpectedly falling for a bard (and the guy who is playing as him in the campaign๐)
The romance was sweet and very fun to read! But my favorite part was how the book switches perspective from the main story to the perspective of the actual DND campaign! I thought it was such a fun choice and got me really invested in both storylines๐โโ๏ธ
The ending really tugged on my heart and I loved the duality of character growth that we see in Sadie through herself and through her DND character. ๐งโโ๏ธ
If youโre a romance lover who wants fantasy aspects as well, but isnโt in the mood for a romantasy, Iโd definitely recommend this one!
Thank you to NetGalley & Dell Romance for this e-ARC of Lanoraโs wonderful book! (I kind of feel like there could be a sequel so just know Iโm already sat and ready for it๐โโ๏ธ)
Our main character Sadie is struggling after loosing her job in NYC and is now living with her best friend for the summer in his small town in Texas. He is hosting a new DND campaign for first timers and she joins in, unexpectedly falling for a bard (and the guy who is playing as him in the campaign๐)
The romance was sweet and very fun to read! But my favorite part was how the book switches perspective from the main story to the perspective of the actual DND campaign! I thought it was such a fun choice and got me really invested in both storylines๐โโ๏ธ
The ending really tugged on my heart and I loved the duality of character growth that we see in Sadie through herself and through her DND character. ๐งโโ๏ธ
If youโre a romance lover who wants fantasy aspects as well, but isnโt in the mood for a romantasy, Iโd definitely recommend this one!
Thank you to NetGalley & Dell Romance for this e-ARC of Lanoraโs wonderful book! (I kind of feel like there could be a sequel so just know Iโm already sat and ready for it๐โโ๏ธ)
lighthearted
medium-paced
ARC review; thanks to NetGalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Dell for the access to this ebook. Pub date: July 15, 2025.
In the afterword, the author says that at its core, this is a story about discovering who we really are underneath the roles we play to get through life, and the importance of surrounding ourselves with people who truly see and love us. That definitely comes through, and it makes this a delightful read.
The story follows Sadie after she loses her job and finds herself a bit lost in life. Her best friend finally gets her to play D&D, and through her character and the people she meets through the game, she starts to climb out of rock bottom.
It's very feel-good, realistic, and entertaining. Though I wish the romance had more chemistry, and I was into it more, I like these characters and was invested enough. I enjoyed the way D&D was used here, and it kinda felt like reading two stories in one because the D&D adventure bits felt like reading fantasy. I wasn't expecting that, tbh. I thought we would only get little scenes of them playing D&D, but what the author did was more immersive and a very pleasant surprise.
Again, I wish I was more emotionally invested in this and I wish we learned more about the entire friend group so the characters all felt fully fleshed out, but as it is, it's a solid book that I could easily recommend to anyone who likes feel-good stories about love, friendship, finding your purpose, having the bravery to make big life changes, and chasing what makes you happy.
In the afterword, the author says that at its core, this is a story about discovering who we really are underneath the roles we play to get through life, and the importance of surrounding ourselves with people who truly see and love us. That definitely comes through, and it makes this a delightful read.
The story follows Sadie after she loses her job and finds herself a bit lost in life. Her best friend finally gets her to play D&D, and through her character and the people she meets through the game, she starts to climb out of rock bottom.
It's very feel-good, realistic, and entertaining. Though I wish the romance had more chemistry, and I was into it more, I like these characters and was invested enough. I enjoyed the way D&D was used here, and it kinda felt like reading two stories in one because the D&D adventure bits felt like reading fantasy. I wasn't expecting that, tbh. I thought we would only get little scenes of them playing D&D, but what the author did was more immersive and a very pleasant surprise.
Again, I wish I was more emotionally invested in this and I wish we learned more about the entire friend group so the characters all felt fully fleshed out, but as it is, it's a solid book that I could easily recommend to anyone who likes feel-good stories about love, friendship, finding your purpose, having the bravery to make big life changes, and chasing what makes you happy.
adventurous
funny
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I say this with all the love in my heart: this book was made for my nerdy girls.
๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐๐ป๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods
๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐: Standalone
๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐: E-book ARC on Kindle, courtesy of NetGalley.
๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฟ๐ฒ: Contemporary Romance
๐ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐: Opposites attract, friends-to-lovers, fantasy vibes.
๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ป๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐: Sadie just her job and is burnt out when she moves to Texas to take a break at her friends house. When she joins her friendโs new Dungeons and Dragons game, she meets Noah, who is also new in town.
๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐: I think every review needs context, so Iโll say it. I have no idea what D&D is or how to play it. Iโve heard of it, sure. Thereโs a viral video of a celebrity talking about it recently, working through how easy it is to play itโฆ and thatโs what this book felt like.
I thought this one was just so well done. I got to learn a bit while also reading an adorable romance. If this book was a person, Iโd boop it on the nose. Strangers-to-friends-to-loversโฆ two characters who felt so normal, like they could walk out of the book and be your friendโฆ
And the D&D backdrop only made it better. Lenora Woods weaved the fantasy story into the contemporary story, so it felt like reading two books at once. Iโve never seen that done before, and I really enjoyed it.
๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด: 4/5 โญโญโญโญ
๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น: 3/5 ๐ถ๐ถ๐ถ
๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐จ๐น๐ช ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.
๐ ๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐๐ป๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods
๐ ๐ฆ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฒ๐: Standalone
๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฎ๐ถ๐น๐: E-book ARC on Kindle, courtesy of NetGalley.
๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฟ๐ฒ: Contemporary Romance
๐ ๐ง๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐: Opposites attract, friends-to-lovers, fantasy vibes.
๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ป๐ผ๐ฝ๐๐ถ๐: Sadie just her job and is burnt out when she moves to Texas to take a break at her friends house. When she joins her friendโs new Dungeons and Dragons game, she meets Noah, who is also new in town.
๐ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฒ๐: I think every review needs context, so Iโll say it. I have no idea what D&D is or how to play it. Iโve heard of it, sure. Thereโs a viral video of a celebrity talking about it recently, working through how easy it is to play itโฆ and thatโs what this book felt like.
I thought this one was just so well done. I got to learn a bit while also reading an adorable romance. If this book was a person, Iโd boop it on the nose. Strangers-to-friends-to-loversโฆ two characters who felt so normal, like they could walk out of the book and be your friendโฆ
And the D&D backdrop only made it better. Lenora Woods weaved the fantasy story into the contemporary story, so it felt like reading two books at once. Iโve never seen that done before, and I really enjoyed it.
๐ฅ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด: 4/5 โญโญโญโญ
๐ฆ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น: 3/5 ๐ถ๐ถ๐ถ
๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐จ๐น๐ช ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.
lighthearted
โจDungeons and Dragons
โจcozy fantasy-tinged romance
โจgolden retriever MCs
Roll forโฆCUTENESS in this adorable romantic fantasy written for the nerds and helllllo, itโs me, Iโm nerds ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ Solid debut, a CRITICAL HIT!
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced reading copy in exchange for a review!
โจcozy fantasy-tinged romance
โจgolden retriever MCs
Roll forโฆCUTENESS in this adorable romantic fantasy written for the nerds and helllllo, itโs me, Iโm nerds ๐๐ปโโ๏ธ Solid debut, a CRITICAL HIT!
Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing for an advanced reading copy in exchange for a review!