A review by trinityb2021
Roll For Romance by Lenora Woods

3.0

3 ⭐️ 

Three stars may be a bit generous but I loved the ambition this book had! The idea of mixing what is essentially a romantasy with a contemporary romance is super unique and I’ve never read anything like it. 

I actually liked both the fantasy story and the contemporary romance separately but because our time was split between both stories, I don’t feel like we got enough time with either. Realistically, the fantasy story should’ve been shortened and condensed to give the real life Noah and Sadie enough time to connect. The book told me that there was chemistry and tension but I can’t say I ever really felt it. 

This book absolutely, 100%, reads like fanfiction. There are some paragraphs that feel like they were ripped right out of a wattpad fic and put into this novel. Sometimes it was charming and sometimes it was felt juvenile and annoying. I love fanfic, I love Ali Hazelwood and other fanfic turned romance authors, but this didn’t hit the right balance for me. 

I also think the D&D stuff didn’t feel right. Sometimes Sadie seemed like she was a pro. She claims she has been drawing fantasy characters, RPing, and making OCs since she was in Elementary school but then doesn’t know what a D20 is? Even if she never played or didn’t understand the rules, you’ll telling me someone who watches anime and is THAT much of a nerd doesn’t recognize polyhedral dice? That felt weird. Like she was stupid just for the reader to go “aw how cute?!” I’m sorry but anyone reading this book, is already familiar with the concepts of D&D and dwarves and tieflings, you don’t need to hold their hand. 

On a similar note, this was a little TOO cringey nerdy for me (and that’s saying something). I’m so glad that we didn’t get an RPing sex scene (or play by post sex scene). I was mentally preparing myself for that. I’m happy for Sadie and Noah, I really am. But I kind of didn’t want to hear about their favorite animes and Noah’s old OCs. I found it cringey and I honestly skipped ahead so I didn’t get the ick. 

As a fan of larger than life lumberjack men, I felt seen by the love interest in this, even if I never really bought the relationship between him and Sadie. In a few years they will 100% be broken up and he’ll be working a new job in Kentucky or some shit. Does someone want to give me his number once Sadie leaves the picture?