I really enjoyed this book. It was fun to see Riley’s passion for theater and Nathan’s interest in gaming come together as they learned more about each other. I also really enjoyed the relationships between the two of them and their friends and seeing how a Riley and her dad grew closer. I would definitely recommend this book.

A cute, sweet, funny, and musical ya romance that I loved! There are so many wonderful relationships both romantic and not making it a book full of love in on way or another. There’s our main romantic relationship between Riley and Nathan with it’s fake dating. Their relationship is full with plenty of banter, tension, and the awkwardness of a high school romance. I loved their relationship so much and was just waiting for the moment when they admit that they like each other. The other romantic relationships are just as cute and high school. One of my other favorite relationships in this book is between Riley and her dad. It’s not perfect and we get to see them make it better during this book.

Overall, this was a cute ya romance that I highly recommend!

Read if you like…
•fake dating
•opposites attract
•hate to love
•musical theater
•dungeons and dragons

Riley has a passion for musical theater and a big dream to direct on Broadway. That's why she takes her Mom's car without permission-or a driver's license-to see a production of Waitress with her bestie Hoshiko. When she is caught, she is grounded for two months and forced to take an after-school job working in her dad's game store.

Riley is less than enthused. She doesn't have the slightest interest in gaming and her relationship with her dad has not been the best since her parents' divorce.

She reluctantly takes on the job and clashes with Nathan, a high school classmate who works for her father. Nathan has a crush on Sophia, a girl who frequents the Dungeons and Dragons group at the store and Riley is eager to make sure her ex-boyfriend Paul knows that she is not pining away for him. Riley strikes up a deal with Nathan to "fake" a relationship with each other. Hopefully, their ruse will rouse Sophia's jealousy and cause her to gravitate towards Nathan and have the desired effect on Paul.

Riley and Nathan launch their fake relationship and Riley joins the Dungeons and Dragons group to make it more believable. Soon Riley meets fun new friends and realizes that there is a whole world of gaming that she didn't realize and to her surprise-and her father's delight-she enjoys it.

Riley also realizes that faking a relationship is more complicated than it seems. When she begins to experience very real feelings for Nathan, she isn't sure if she is alone in her feelings or is something very real happening between them.

I loved the representation of characters, the foray into the world of gaming, and the serious themes that are interlaced throughout the narrative. Boyce creates a perfect YA rom-com that you definitely need to check out!

Nerds unite! I found our utterly adorable, smile inducing, heartstring pulling YA romcom. Not only do you have some of our favorite tropes in these pages, but nerd culture galore is sprinkled throughout that just had me giggling with delight! Dungeons and Dragons? Musicals? Monty Python? Warhammer? Pokémon? LARPing? YES!!

As you can tell, I love all the gaming/musical theater references but there is so much more to this story that I enjoyed. Watching Riley and her dad come together and work through there misunderstanding was a huge win for me. I love watching their relationship flourish. The D&D group members all hold a special place in my heart! I think they all need their own books! I NEED MORE!!

I will say before you get into this, it is truly a book that falls into the YA genre. There are no blurred lines here. We have teenage drama, miscommunication, and problems but I still enjoyed every word as an (almost) 33-year-old.

Pick this one up if you like:

-Dungeons and Dragons
-Musical theater references
-Fake Dating
-Mutual dislike to friends to lovers
-ALL the nerd culture references
-Game store setting
-Repaired parental relationships

My romance loving heart wishes there was a teeny, tiny more moments between Riley and Nathan once they worked past those dreaded miscommunication issues, but it did not take away from my overall love of the book.

Thank you #NetGalley for the advanced copy of #DungeonsandDrama in exchange for an honest review.

This is a delightful YA Romance between a gamer boy and a theatre girl. As the parent of kids who are both theatre kids and gamer kids (and as a 80s D&D/theatre girl myself), I loved the setup for this book a lot so much so in fact, it felt like this was written for me. This book was sweet, funny, and a bit emotional too. As soon as I finished the book, I immediately rec'd it to my musical theatre mom group to get for their romance reading kids. This book has fake dating, D&D, musicals, and Monty Python so basically it appealed to all the nerdiness in me! Finally, as a mom whose daughter's college musical theatre program was just cut and someone who has seen so many HSs and colleges making cuts in the arts (specifically musical theatre arts), I felt so much of what Riley & her classmates felt and their determination was very realistic (having just watched my daughter and her MT and Acting cohort attempt to do the same thing). Schools should be putting more money towards the arts, not less. Theatre is where people learn empathy and we could use a whole lot more of that in the world today.

I could go on and on about how much I loved this book. The board games, movie nights, drama rehearsals, DND campaigns, and belted musical numbers were everything I didn’t know I needed it in a YA novel; it felt like it was written just for me.

I really appreciated the side plot about Riley’s relationship with her divorced parents. I appreciate seeing representation of healthy and mature parenting, especially in a YA novel. At the beginning of the book, her relationship with her mom is strong but she has very little relationship with her dad since she feels like he chose the store over their family by getting a divorce. I really liked how it took a while for her to see her dad in a different light and realize that it’s not a betrayal to her mom to love both her parents.

The romance was SO cute. I saw someone describe their enemies to lovers relationship as nice nasty and I think that’s spot on. They do NOT hit it off right away but slowly move toward friends through their fake relationship. Riley wants her ex to get that it’s over and Nate wants a girl that seems to only want what she can’t have. But Riley and Nate’s flirtation starts to feel a little too comfortable and right…

This book had great humor and amazing side characters. I will be heading out to buy this one on pub day because I need it on my shelf.

Thank you to Delacorte Press for an eARC. All thoughts are my own.

I can admit I added this to my TBR solely because of the cover lol I loved all the little details and I don’t even play (or know anyone who plays) IRL. The dice? Her colorful clothes? The games? His ears? I loved it. But by that time I was already sold.

This book was so cute! I think my favorite part of this was the gaming. I was a little worried about it because like I said I don’t actually play so I was worried, thinking it was going to be heavy on the gaming aspect of it. But it wasn’t at all. It gives an overview of how the game is and what they have to do when playing. And it’s not info dumpy at all. The author makes it as an explanation to Riley since she’s learning how to play. And I loved that.

This entire book was so fun! I was not expecting to laugh as hard as I did in so many places. I have to say after reading her debut and not rating it super high, I’m super glad that I didn’t realize that this was by the same person. Because I don’t think I would have been so keen on reading this. But now that I have, I’m so happy I was able to read an early copy of this! It was so much fun! Riley is a theater kid, so she’s already artsy and let me tell you she is hilarious. And the way Nathan couldn’t stop her charm was also hilarious too.

The romance was hella cute too. As a self proclaimed hater of enemies to lovers books, I was not super set on this part of the book. But as it turns out, it wasn’t that bad. Riley is way too fluffy of a person to be actually mad. And Nathan was too much of a nerd to be mean. The two of them were nice nasty to each other and I loved it lol Like when she accused him of stealing those cards lol She was trippin. And the fake dating? Yes there was something in it for both of them, but I think her reasoning was actually funny. Because all she really had to do was tell that idiot to mind his own damn business lol But watching the romance turn real was cute.

The plot of this was also super cute. Although I couldn’t imagine getting in so much trouble to go watch a musical! But she gets sentenced to work in her dad’s store and is expecting to hate it. But she meets a terrible person who she can’t stand. And then then suddenly they’re fake dating. And I was not expecting to cry. Yes, I cried at the end. There was a lot that had to be done, and seeing that they did all that, and in that short amount of time, AND things that they didn’t even think of? It was so cute.

The only thing about this book I didn’t like was the way it seemed like none of the serious stuff that came up during the story got wrapped up. Like even the thing between her and the adult seemed like it was only talked about it again because of what happened. It was like 2 sentences and that was it. Idk maybe it was written that way because it was a rom com and the author didn’t want to get too heavy, but I think if you’re going to do it, then you should DO IT.

Idk what I was expecting when I read this, but whatever it was, it blew my expectations out of the water. I WISH I could go to this store. It really seems like it would be so much fun. And to hear Riley belting out her songs from the back of the store! I hope y’all pick this up and fall for this nerdy rom com like I did!

This was such a cute rom-com of a novel! I loved the enemies to lovers aspect, and how the author really showed the emotional connection growing and deepening throughout the novel. I would definitely recommend for a light YA romance read!

When it comes to romance, sometimes it doesn't hurt to play games. A fun YA romcom full of fake dating hijinks!

Musical lover Riley has big aspirations to become a director on Broadway. Crucial to this plan is to bring back her high school’s spring musical, but when Riley takes her mom’s car without permission, she's grounded and stuck with the worst punishment: spending her after-school hours working at her dad’s game shop.

Riley can't waste her time working when she has a musical to save, so she convinces Nathan—a nerdy teen employee—to cover her shifts and, in exchange, she’ll flirt with him to make his gamer-girl crush jealous.

But Riley didn’t realize that meant joining Nathan's Dungeons & Dragons game…or that role playing would be so fun. Soon, Riley starts to think that flirting with Nathan doesn't require as much acting as she would've thought...

Want to start your new Year out with just a fun cute teenage romance read this.
I enjoyed this book it bought me back to High School and all the boy crush’s I went through. We follow the cute Riley who loves Music and theater but finds herself grounded by her dad and has to work in his store feeling her life’s over she finds a way out. This is just cute and funny and might just bring you back to those HS crushes you had. This has all the good troupes.

Enemies to Lovers
Fake Dating
Dungeons and Dragons
Young Love
Drama
Thank you @netgalley

Thank you NetGalley and Delacorte Press for the ARC! Dungeons and Drama is a sweet, fake dating YA romance. Musical lover Riley gets into a bit of trouble after driving (without a license) with her best friend to see the touring production of Waitress. Her parents punish her by making her work at her father's game store. There, Riley ends up working with her classmate, Nathan. While the two have never really connected, when Riley needs a cover to convince her ex she's moved on and realizes Nathan needs a way to make his crush jealous, the two agree to fake date. But as the two spend more time together (including Riley joining Nathan's Dungeons and Dragons campaign), their fake feelings start to feel too real. Fun and charming, this book is the perfect choice for those searching for a soft, contemporary romance.

Let me just start by saying I knew I was probably really going to love this book when I spotted the cover and read the description alone (because how could you not?? It's the cutest 💕). But I am still in shock at how much this one ended up making my heart race in all the best ways! It was the perfect blend of funny, nerdy, witty and sweet. The way Kristy Boyce writes... There's something in it that made it nearly impossible to put this book down! It was such a quick and easy read for me. I was cheering on Riley and Nathan ALL the dang time. And fake dating isn't always my thing because so many factors in that trope have to align for me to get into it story-wise, but honestly Kristy ticked off every single one in her writing. Especially so with the banter and romantic tension between these two... *chef's kiss* I would have swooned if I knew any guys like Nathan when I was in high school. I thankfully ended up meeting my nerdy partner while I was in college, but I would have loved to even just know a really tender-hearted, thoughtful guy in high school like him.

Not to mention the FOUND FAMILY in this book! If I could pick one trope to live and die by in a non-romantic sense, it would be Found Family. It's just like the feeling of being wrapped in a comfy, cozy blanket to me. I was in love with Riley's found friend group. It was just top tier for me, overall. This book is pure joy in book form!

A huge thank you to Delacorte Press (Random House) and NetGalley for this e-ARC! This was my first ARC novel read through NetGalley and I really am so grateful for it. Can't wait to talk this one up to everyone I know now that it comes out in less than a week! Especially think that this story will speak to so many of my nerdy friends' (and likely also their equally-nerdy partner's) high school/young adult experience. BIG fan of this book!

4.5 stars I loved every second of this read. Now while I read this book last month I was sick for half of December. Do I highly recommend this to everyone? Yes I do and I will be writing my review on goodreads on publication day.

⭐⭐⭐💫

TROPES
🎲 Enemies to Lovers
🎲 Fake Dating

Like any other teen, Riley gets in trouble with her parents. Except this time her punishment is to work at her dad’s game store. The store is a bit of a sore subject since Riley feels her father chose the store over his family in the divorce, but she finds some positive in it as she makes new friends and joins in a game of D&D.

I’m always a sucker for a fake-dating story because I love to see what the reason behind the heist is. This one is pretty standard, getting back at an ex and trying to impress a crush. It’s a fun story as Riley and Nathan, a teen who works the store, fake it until the lines begin to blur for the both of them.

I wish there had been a bit more characterization with Riley. She goes through a ton over the course of the story, all of which are relatable to the audience, but it feels like her characterization happens off-page. Suddenly she’s just ready for different things or has realizations, but we don’t really get to see that process.

Wow! I can't remember the last time I read something that I couldn't put down. This book hooked me in and didn't let go.

Clean, tight writing. Everything had a purpose and helped to propel the story forward. Light and conversational tone that felt completely natural and made for a quick, smooth read.

Great character development. Diverse characters. And a story that presents the traditional underdog characters more as the cool kids. Being a nerd is cool! Yes—I love it!

I will be keeping an eye out for Kristy Boyce. She has just become a new favorite.

I LOVE THIS BOOK SO MUCH💗💗💗 it was just as delightful and fun as the cover, if not more.

Riley was grounded because she borrowed her mom’s car without permission while she hasn’t got her license yet. One of her punishment was that she has to spent her after school hours working at her dad’s game store. Let’s just say that she’s not a fan of games. At all.

On top of that, her ex, Paul, is being a super pompous jerk who never leave her alone making her life even more insufferable. One thing led to another, Riley set herself up in fake flirting scheme with one of her coworker, Nathan, that supposed to benefit them two. But somewhere along the line the scheme got blurry and she doesn’t know if they’re still faking anymore.

This book got me giggling grinning kicking my feet like a schoolgirl🥰🥰The characters were lovely (with exceptions for some) and their dynamics were natural but in the most fun way. Riley and Hoshiko friendship was a dream. The main DnD group members were giving the most wholesome platonic assembly ever. And don’t get me started on the main spotlight: Riley and Nathan’s slow burn annoyed-coworkers to whatever-they-become!!!!!!!!

Nathan literally stole my attention omg I can’t even remember the last time I had a crush on a fictional character but here I am🥲 Good thing Riley was also dominant, solid, and distinctive main character so I adore with this pairing. They’re perfect and totally deserve each other.

Seriously I love this book so much I don’t know how to express it properly. I wouldn’t mind if there’s a spinoff or even a sequel even thought it’s perfect as it is. RileyNathan my love🥹🫶🏼

It's been a while since I've done a five-star, "OMG, read this immediately" kind of book review because, frankly, 2023 wasn't much of a five-star reading year. However, we squeezed one in under the wire all because I was looking for quicker reads to try and hit my 80 book goal for the year.

Many, many thanks to NetGalley and to Delacourte Press for the digital ARC of Kristy Boyce's upcoming YA romance, Dungeons & Drama. This book comes out on January 9th, 2024, and you should probably go ahead and preorder it right now.

Friends, I adored this book. Initially I was skeptical of our protagonist, Riley, and her aversion to board games and all things D&D. However, it makes sense why she feels that way, and she comes around quickly enough.

Dungeons & Drama follows Riley, a teen who is obsessed with musicals and theater, as she is forced to work at her father's board game shop as part of her punishment for driving without a license to attend a musical out of town. Along the way, she meets Nathan, a board game enthusiast who seems to know her father better than she does, and they wind up with a mutually beneficial agreement... to pretend to date.

This book was nerdy in all the best ways, fully leaning in to Riley's love of musicals and to her father's love for board games and D&D. The characters felt believable and well-rounded, and the story just zips right along at a lovely pace.

Honestly, I can't find much fault with this book, as it was truly a delightful YA reading experience from start to finish. I read it in the span of a single day because I just couldn't put it down. I recommend this book to anyone who loves musicals, D&D, or great enemies-to-friends-to-lovers stories with a dash of fake dating thrown in.

🎲 𝘿𝙪𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙤𝙣𝙨 & 𝘿𝙧𝙖𝙢𝙖 🎲
𝖪𝗋𝗂𝗌𝗍𝗒 𝖡𝗈𝗒𝖼𝖾

Cute as hell young adult romance alert! I mean just look at this cover! This was a super fun and cute enemies to friends to lovers with a little fake dating romance. If you’re into musical theater and/or D&D or gaming in general that is an added bonus layer to this read! This book will release on January 9th!

Riley, a passionate aspiring Broadway director, faces a setback when she's grounded and forced to work at her dad’s game shop instead of reviving her high school’s spring musical. Determined to escape her punishment, she strikes a deal with nerdy coworker Nathan, agreeing to fake date to save face in front of her ex while also making his crush jealous. Unexpectedly drawn into Nathan’s world of Dungeons & Dragons, Riley discovers a surprising enjoyment in role-playing games. The more time they spend together, the harder it gets to know what feelings are fake and which ones are getting very real.

Like I said this was a super cute read! I know young adult books aren’t everyone’s cup of tea, but if they are or you have a young adult reader in your midst, I think they are going to love this! I know it will definitely be an addition to my high school library shelves!

Thank you to @netgalley and @delacortepress for the free advanced copy of this book!

Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce is a must-read cozy romance for board gamers and thespians alike. In this boisterously geeky romantic comedy, Boyce skillfully weaves a heartwarming story filled with love and laughter.

This captivating novel takes readers on a delightful journey, immersing them in the world of board games and theater. Boyce's writing effortlessly transports us into a realm where passion for both hobbies intertwines, creating a unique and enchanting narrative.

The story revolves around a group of individuals who share a deep love for board games and the dramatic arts. As their paths cross, sparks fly, and unexpected connections are formed. Boyce masterfully crafts a tale that explores the complexities of relationships, while infusing it with humor and charm.

Through her vivid descriptions and relatable characters, Boyce captures the essence of the board gaming and theater communities. Her attention to detail allows readers to fully immerse themselves in the world she has created, making it a truly enjoyable experience.

With its well-paced plot and engaging dialogue, Dungeons and Drama keeps readers eagerly turning the pages. Boyce's writing style is both accessible and engaging, making the story easy to follow while still maintaining a level of sophistication.

Boyce's ability to create authentic and multi-dimensional characters adds depth to the narrative. Each character is uniquely crafted, with their own quirks and flaws, making them relatable and endearing. Readers will find themselves emotionally invested in their journeys, rooting for their successes and empathizing with their struggles.

Dungeons and Drama is a delightful and captivating cozy romance that will appeal to both board gamers and thespians. Boyce's skillful storytelling, combined with her ability to create relatable characters, makes this novel a must-read for anyone seeking a heartwarming tale filled with love, laughter, and a touch of geekiness.

This book is honestly so cute! *insert me internally screaming a lot*

The whole enemies to lovers of this book and fake dating was teenageish in a good way. I thought Riley and Nathan were the cutest. Their banter was funny and the way the story plays out did not miss.

I highly recommend this book for geeks.

I got an e-are of this book on NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Musings:

*(Quick Disclaimer: even though I am behind on reviews of books I’ve finished I decided I had to review this book the second I finished it. This review will have a lot of nerdy emotional outbursts. You have been warned)

I read this book in less than 24 hours. I cannot say the last time a book did that to me where I was just so completely entertained that I had to finish it as soon as possible. I started it last afternoon at 1 or 2 before work as of writing this and I finished it this morning a bit after 11. Last night I had to stop myself from continuing as it had become 2:30 am and I was just halfway and I stole did not want to put it down.
I LOVE THIS BOOK! I cannot say how seen this little nerdy love story made me feel. It also was actually so funny and it’s so rare for a book to make me laugh. All the references and camaraderie between these musical and gaming nerds made me feel so at home. Ticket to Ride being mentioned had me smiling so hard from ear to ear knowing my boyfriend and his friends always play it on their board game nights I miss due to being at work. The way my boyfriend says Ticket to Ride! with this joyous cute tone had me so weak every-time the game was mentioned in this book.

I was obsessed with Nathan’s sweet nature and the easy banter he and Riley had the whole book. It was my boyfriend’s funny sweet nerdy nature in novel form and I WANTED TO CUDDLE HIM SO BAD! He’s such a good guy and it’s so clear from how respectful he is and the way he treats not just Riley but the others around him god it was like seeing my boyfriend Abdiel in another universe. If we’d met in high school I think this is how it would’ve happened for us, except maybe not the whole fake dating thing.

The friendships, relationships, and sense of community in this book are all top tier (SSR level you might say). I love how Riley gets to know her dad and balances that with her relationship with her mom. I love her friendships with each individual and how real and fleshed out they feel. Obviously…. I am FERAL over her relationship that develops with Nathan. It’s wholesome and cute and flirty and it made me smile the whole way.

Now that’s enough ranting! Go pre-order/buy this amazing book. If you have any sort of nerdy/musical heart in you this book will bring you so much joy.