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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
medium-paced
Thank you Lenora Woods and Dell Romance for the free gift!
A charming, dual-layered love story that celebrates the magic of D&D and the bigger, scarier adventures of real life.
I absolutely adored Roll for Romance. Not only did we get to follow Sadie’s real-world journey—her worries, her hopes, her heart slowly opening to new possibilities—but we also got to see her parallel adventure as Jaylie, a badass cleric in a beautifully novelized D&D campaign. Honestly, it was hard to decide which story I loved more. Both were so vivid, so fun, and so emotionally resonant.
As someone who still struggles with big life choices (who does know what they want to be when they grow up?), I deeply empathized with Sadie’s indecision and anxiety. Her storyline felt so honest and relatable, and her slow-burn romance with Noah was absolutely delightful. I also loved Noah’s bard energy—flirty, adventurous, slightly rootless—and how that mirrored the uncertainty and wonder of falling in love.
Bonus points: this gave me so many fun ideas to steal for my own D&D campaigns as a DM. The game sessions felt immersive and genuine, like actually sitting at the table with friends.
If you’re a fan of cozy, hopeful romances with a dash of fantasy and a big heart for tabletop gaming, this is a total critical hit.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate anxiety
adventurous
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This was a sweet romance with a quirky element that made it unique and memorable. Noah and Sadie meet playing DND together and are quickly drawn to each other. As they and their crew embark on an adventure through their game, Noah is trying to figure out if he’s ready to stay somewhere else Sadie is seeking what comes next in life after losing her job. I enjoyed the romance between the two, but while the DND storyline was fun, it felt longer than necessary at times.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. All opinions are my own.
Disclaimer: I have never played D&D and I have no desire to play D&D. My husband plays with a group of his friends and that's the extent of my knowledge of the game.
However, none of my D&D ignorance stopped me from thoroughly enjoying this book.
It was a sweet book about a woman named Sadie rediscovering herself while building a new life along the way. Sadie has a mental meltdown at her advertising job in NYC. She flees to her BFF's place in Texas for some respite before she heads back to NYC to put back together her life. Instead, Sadie finds herself a found family, romance, and creeping doubts about returning to NYC. The book is written simultaneously in real time and via the backdrop of a D&D game Sadie and her friends are playing. Look, it sounds complicated, but trust me it works.
Thank you to NetGalley and PenguinRandomHouse for an advanced copy of this book.
However, none of my D&D ignorance stopped me from thoroughly enjoying this book.
It was a sweet book about a woman named Sadie rediscovering herself while building a new life along the way. Sadie has a mental meltdown at her advertising job in NYC. She flees to her BFF's place in Texas for some respite before she heads back to NYC to put back together her life. Instead, Sadie finds herself a found family, romance, and creeping doubts about returning to NYC. The book is written simultaneously in real time and via the backdrop of a D&D game Sadie and her friends are playing. Look, it sounds complicated, but trust me it works.
Thank you to NetGalley and PenguinRandomHouse for an advanced copy of this book.
adventurous
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Roll for Romance is another entry in what seems to be a mini-trend or microtrope of "geeky" themed rom-coms. And there is a lot to love here - the author clearly loves RPGs for their storytelling potential and ability to bring people together. Indeed, the "in-game" portion of the book might have been the strongest part.
I think that's what holds me back just a little regarding this. That part worked great. But there was so little actual conflict in the main novel (and I'm fine with "cozy" books, btw) that the main plot drug. From almost the beginning of the novel I could predict what was going to happen:that she'd get into her art, get hired by the brewery, end up with the one guy, turn down the job in NYC, etc. . And while that isn't bad, it also didn't end up being exceptional. The writing is good. But a part of me wondered what might have been if the "real world" portion had been more of a mystery. Not necessarily an "enemies" book, but one where the main characters didn't know each other.
That said, you can't review the book you wanted...you have to review the book as it is. And it is definitely fun. I enjoyed it a lot. It just wasn't my favorite. 3.75 stars - rounding to 4 for GR.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for a chance to read an advance copy in exchange for a fair review. All opinions are my own and uncompensated. Roll for Romance is out July 15 and you can preorder it now!
I think that's what holds me back just a little regarding this. That part worked great. But there was so little actual conflict in the main novel (and I'm fine with "cozy" books, btw) that the main plot drug. From almost the beginning of the novel I could predict what was going to happen:
That said, you can't review the book you wanted...you have to review the book as it is. And it is definitely fun. I enjoyed it a lot. It just wasn't my favorite. 3.75 stars - rounding to 4 for GR.
Thank you to NetGalley and Dell for a chance to read an advance copy in exchange for a fair review. All opinions are my own and uncompensated. Roll for Romance is out July 15 and you can preorder it now!
Thank you Ballantine|Dell and NetGalley for the eARC of Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods.
This is a classic example of a book that just wasn’t the right fit for me, but I know it will be a great read for others. I think I needed a little more background knowledge of D&D to be truly engaged. Toward the very end, I finally started to get a grasp on the D&D story within the story, but it was jarring switching between the main plot with Noah and Sadie and the D&D quest storyline.
With the characters in the real-world plot plus the characters in the campaign, I often got confused about who was who. I believe Sadie, the main female character, also had another name, Josephine, so for one character we had Sadie, Josephine, and Jaylee. It just got a little hard to keep track.
That said, I did enjoy the characters in the main plotline, and it was cool to see the D&D campaign integrated into the story. There was just something that made it difficult for me to fully connect and get drawn into both narratives. I think that’s more of a personal issue, since I’m not very familiar with D&D or campaign-style games.
It was very well written, and I’m looking forward to reading more books by Lenora Woods. I’ll definitely try more books that feature D&D, because the concept was really interesting. I just had a hard time connecting and being pulled in.
This is a classic example of a book that just wasn’t the right fit for me, but I know it will be a great read for others. I think I needed a little more background knowledge of D&D to be truly engaged. Toward the very end, I finally started to get a grasp on the D&D story within the story, but it was jarring switching between the main plot with Noah and Sadie and the D&D quest storyline.
With the characters in the real-world plot plus the characters in the campaign, I often got confused about who was who. I believe Sadie, the main female character, also had another name, Josephine, so for one character we had Sadie, Josephine, and Jaylee. It just got a little hard to keep track.
That said, I did enjoy the characters in the main plotline, and it was cool to see the D&D campaign integrated into the story. There was just something that made it difficult for me to fully connect and get drawn into both narratives. I think that’s more of a personal issue, since I’m not very familiar with D&D or campaign-style games.
It was very well written, and I’m looking forward to reading more books by Lenora Woods. I’ll definitely try more books that feature D&D, because the concept was really interesting. I just had a hard time connecting and being pulled in.
This was one of the cutest rom-coms I’ve ever read!! I personally have never played D&D but I do have a lot of love and appreciation for it!
Sadie moves from NYC to small town Texas to (temporarily) live with her best friend, Liam, after losing her job. She joins his Dungeons and Dragons campaign of newbies and becomes Jaylie, a human cleric, blessed by the Goddess of Luck. There she meets Noah, a bartender and the human embodiment of sunshine, who plays as Loren, a traveling bard. In and out of the game, she finds herself falling for Noah and needs to decide if it's worth staying in Texas.
Honestly, I found Sadie so relatable. She’s trying to figure herself out after being completely burnt out from her demanding job and honestly feeling a bit lost so running towards one of her most supportive people was so understandable. I loved Liam immediately, him giving her little tasks to get out of the house was adorable.
Noah was literally the human embodiment of sunshine, I ADORED him. He and Sadie were adorable and truly loved them together. This book was really just about two nerds falling in love and I ate it up!
I loved how we were able to get the intertwined story of their real lives and within the game. I thought it made the story so much more entertaining. I found myself so invested in their game as much as I was with the romance! And I want to see all of Sadie's art!! Lenora did such a great job describing her drawings and the mural and all the character descriptions, I need art prints of them all!
Highly recommend checking this one out if you are a D&D, fantasy, and/or ren faire fan!!
Thank you Dell for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion!
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-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:
N/A
This story made my nerdy little heart so happy. While I myself have not ventured into tabletop games (yet), I know enough about them from friends and family to thoroughly enjoy the TTRPG parts of the story.
The protagonist, Sadie, is crashing at her BFF Liam's home in Texas while she regroups after losing her high-pressure job due to burnout. To get her out of her funk, Liam suggests she join a new D&D campaign he's cooking up for some other newbies.
Suddenly, Sadie has something to look forward to, rather than rotting in bed all day. The weekly D&D campaigns lead to new friendships and a blossoming relationship with the semi-nomadic Noah.
I loved how the D&D campaign parts were written almost like a novel within a novel and how you can see the personalities of the people playing the characters peeking through. It definitely had me considering finding a D&D game to join myself.
Thank you NetGalley & Lenora Woods for the opportunity to advance read this adorably nerdy romance!
The protagonist, Sadie, is crashing at her BFF Liam's home in Texas while she regroups after losing her high-pressure job due to burnout. To get her out of her funk, Liam suggests she join a new D&D campaign he's cooking up for some other newbies.
Suddenly, Sadie has something to look forward to, rather than rotting in bed all day. The weekly D&D campaigns lead to new friendships and a blossoming relationship with the semi-nomadic Noah.
I loved how the D&D campaign parts were written almost like a novel within a novel and how you can see the personalities of the people playing the characters peeking through. It definitely had me considering finding a D&D game to join myself.
Thank you NetGalley & Lenora Woods for the opportunity to advance read this adorably nerdy romance!
This book was listed as cozy and it was definitely a cozy romance. I finished with a smile on my face. Now I have never played D&D and clearly this is a D&D romance but I still enjoyed it. This book actually has two storylines, the real world and the D&D campaign characters. I thought that was very interesting so I definitely think fans of D&D will LOVE this romance novel. So Sadie has lost her job in New York City and has come to regroup with her friend Liam that lives in Texas. She is going to stay for the summer while she figures out her life. Liam gets a group together of people who have not played D&D before and he is the Dungeon Master. Sadie starts taking a liking to Noah who is a bartender. Noah is someone who likes to roam and not be tied down to a place. Since Sadie is only there for the summer should they start something? Or will it be just a summer fling? I enjoyed this and thought it was very cute.
-"I don't just want my songs to get stuck in your head, Jay. I want you to be the reason I write them."
-"I don't just want my songs to get stuck in your head, Jay. I want you to be the reason I write them."
This was such a fun read for me. As someone who plays D&D, I loved getting the combination of both the main romance plot as well as the in game story. I especially loved how Woods used key elements of the campaign to allow Sadie and Noah to explore their relationship and growing feelings for one another. They had great chemistry and played well off one another. I also enjoyed Sadie’s character development as she came to terms with what happened in New York and what direction she wants her life to go. I’m a huge fan of the found family trope, and I love the found family that develops between the D&D group. They’re all so different but complement each other resulting in great friendships. The one issue I had with this book was that it seemed to stall out in the middle, but aside from that, I had a great time with this book.
✨
✨
eARC courtesy of Dell Romance
Overall Rating: 4⭐️
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
This was the sweetest book. It was a low-angst tale of rediscovering yourself after a setback. It has a great depiction of burnout and what it can do to your life. I just wanted to wrap Sadie up in a comfy blanket and shield her from everything. I loved the incorporation of the Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) campaign into the story. How role-playing a character became an outlet for the whole group in different ways. I loved how D&D, in particular, played a role in Sadie and Noah’s relationship.
I loved the relationship in this book. Noah was never pushy about Sadie’s indecision or listlessness. Talk about a supportive partner! I loved how both of them could see through the other’s facade. The walls they each tried to put up were no match for the other.
I loved this book. I would highly recommend it for romance lovers who are looking for a low-angst and unique story. It seemed the end of the book was setting up the next. I hope there is more to come!
I loved the relationship in this book. Noah was never pushy about Sadie’s indecision or listlessness. Talk about a supportive partner! I loved how both of them could see through the other’s facade. The walls they each tried to put up were no match for the other.
I loved this book. I would highly recommend it for romance lovers who are looking for a low-angst and unique story. It seemed the end of the book was setting up the next. I hope there is more to come!