I thought this was a cute, fun, and easy read. I love the popularity that "nerd culture" is having right now and loving that I can have books that represent diverse teen interests to recommend to my diverse teen population at my library! Really and truly such a great YA romantic comedy.

An incredibly cute entry in YA romance. I wish I had this kind of story to read when I was a teen. Refreshing to see D&D woven so naturally into a story without it being the but of the joke as well.

“Riley Morris is determined to make a name for herself as a Broadway director which is why the Central Scottsville High School spring musical is so important. This is her chance to get a directing credit under her belt. One very stupid decision later, she finds herself grounded and spending her afternoons working at Sword and Board Games. Ever since her parents’ divorce, her relationship with her dad has been strained, and spending so much time in his store seems like a terrible idea. To make matters worse, Riley doesn’t start out on the right foot with her coworker Nathan Wheeler. He’s very fond of her dad Joel, and it’s very clear that Riley would rather be anywhere but the store. When her desire to get rid of an ex-boyfriend aligns with his desire to make a crush jealous, they reluctantly agree to become a couple. Riley finds herself joining Nathan’s Dungeons and Dragons game and actually enjoying it, and the line between real and fake starts to blur. Working in the game store isn’t as bad as she thought it would be, and pretending to date Nathan is requiring less and less acting. Gaming nerds aren’t so different from theater nerds after all. Maybe nerds of a feather should stick together? Very close together!”

*Disclaimer: I received a free copy of this book from Delacorte Press, an imprint of Random House Children's Books, through NetGalley in exchange for a review. All opinions are my own.

The “Dungeons and Drama” cover sold me before I read a single word of the synopsis so shout-out to artist Liz Parkes and art director Casey Moses! I was never in musical theater myself, but growing up in the dance world exposed me to all kinds of shows. On the other hand, the game Dungeons and Dragons has never been my thing, although I understand the appeal of a fantasy role-playing game. It’s just like being in a play, isn’t it? In fact, that’s what this book is about. A gaming nerd and a theater nerd being thrown together and finding out they have more in common than not. Nerds unite!

The first page of the first chapter mentions the Broadway musical Waitress which was a solid start to winning me over. Chapter two mentions “swoony, talented Zac Efron,” and I almost threw out a five-star rating on Goodreads. Calm down Lauren! This is where things got a little choppy. I thought this was a young adult romance in the college age range. Once I realized it’s a teen romance set in high school, I had serious doubts about moving forward. The truth is, I generally steer clear of stories about characters that young because if there’s no nostalgic ties, I rarely enjoy the book. Focusing on the beautiful cover and promising premise, I adjusted my expectations and continued.

Turns out, my biggest problem is the writing style which is a little too simple. Perhaps that has something to do with the age of the characters, but I still feel like it could use some je na sais quoi, a little more nuance and oomph. I have no previous knowledge of Kristy Boyce’s work so I’m not sure if this is a pattern; I found her use of descriptions for every character’s race odd. He is a “white kid from my high school.” She has a “large South Asian family.” That may not sound too bad, but the descriptions pile up and never feel organic, just flippant. Despite what I suspect to be good intentions, I question the creative choice and tone.

Having pushed through my slightly shocking discovery that Nathan and Riley are teenagers, my interest was piqued again in chapter six when Riley joins the DnD game nights at her father’s store. What starts as a punishment and budding romance finishes as a very lovely story about the importance of community and who you surround yourself with. I was pleasantly surprised by that aspect of the story, so much so that I cried. Twice! Kristy Boyce did an excellent job with the game store which is the true heart of “Dungeons and Drama,” and there’s a couple reasons for that. In high school, she and her best friend Maggie joined a D&D group without previous knowledge of the game, and they both ended up marrying fellow members Mike and Emmett, respectively. While writing this book, Kristy enlisted the help of employees from her FLGS (friendly local gaming store) for insider knowledge only they can provide. That brings up my own memories, fond memories of browsing and playing Kingdom Hearts at my FLGS in North Texas. I strongly encourage anyone reading this review to go out and support those small businesses in your neighborhood.

I’m not one hundred percent on board with the writing, but the surprising heart behind this book deserves a higher rating so I’ve landed on 3.5 Stars. Maybe you’ve come for the musical theater. Maybe you’re here because of Dungeons and Dragons. The reason doesn’t matter because you’re going to stay for Riley’s reconciliation with her dad, friendships in an unexpected place, and nerd representation. Be unashamedly you. Be an unwavering beacon because there are others like you searching for a community. Someday, sometime, they might find what they’re looking for in the backroom of their local gaming store. Don’t be late!

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Content Breakdown: Absent parents, Divorce, Fake Dating, Hospitals & Illness (a heart attack scare), One use of the word “Lust” & one use of the phrase “Go all the way,” Stealing a car & Driving without a license, & Teen romance (cuddling, flirting, hand holding, hugging, kissing, & pet names)

Brief mentions of Alcohol, Bars/Taverns, & Intoxication

Thank you to Net Galley and Random House Children's for the advanced copy.

Dungeons and Drama is a very sweet, light hearted young adult romance novel on the surface. Underneath all of that it deals with the stress of having absent parents (in the case of Nathan), and divorced parents in which one is favored (in the case of Riley), as well as the pressure of juggling all your desires at the same time as all your necessities. I felt very seen in this novel as both a theatre person and a person who plays DND. I think this book is very easy to read and wonderful in it's simplicity. It is very straight forward in dealing with issues (expect teen's natural inability to communicate lol) and is a heartwarming, fast paced, novel.

I thought this was such a cute YA romance. I love how the main character Riley is a musical loving nerd who gets in trouble when she takes her mother's car without a license so that she and her friend can see Waitress The Musical in the city. So her punishment is to work at her dad's comicbook store. To make matters worse her school decided that they don't need to do a musical that year. At the comic book store is works with Nathan who runs a D&D campaign and Riley gets roped into the campaign to help Nathan with a girl and he is helping her find a way to get the school musical back up and running. I love the nerdy parts of the book and I think if you are not really a big fan of musicals or D&D then maybe it might not be as exciting.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for granting me free access to the advanced digital copy of this book.

This was an amazing book and I loved the audio narrator as well! I love the cast of characters and I had an amazing time! The fake dating was perfect, and it is one of my favorite tropes! I want more from this author in this world and I am excited to see they are writing a follow-up book about another of the D&D party members!

Kristy Boyce's Dungeons and Drama is a delightful and engaging read that combines witty dialogue with a fresh take on the classic high school romance. The book’s blend of humor, heart, and geek culture creates a fun, relatable story that resonates with fans of both fantasy and contemporary fiction. Boyce’s charming characters and clever storytelling make this a standout in the genre.

This was pretty cute. I was annoyed with Riley from the get go, but she really brought me around as the story went on. I liked the familial storyline with Riley and her parents and how there was evolution on both fronts as they had to learn to trust one another again and both parents recognized behaviours that had threatened their relationship with their daughter. The evolving friend group was great and I found the honest conversation on toxic traits in high school dating to be refreshing. I think this will have a fairly niche audience. So many drama references that somehow seem like they will transcend less than even some of the gaming stuff.

As a lover of all things nerdy, every aspect of this story was perfect and adorable. I loved how eaacho of the tropes and storylines felt truthful and touching and all of the characters in this book were so unique and fun.

This is such a cute YA rom-com. The faking dating trope is done really well, the banter is fun. I really enjoyed Riley and Nathan’s story.

Super cute story that made me feel like it was my husband and I all over again. I loved the characters and can't wait to read more by this author!

Riley loves musical theatre. After high school she plans to study theatre and ultimately become a director on Broadway. But how is any of that going to happen if she doesn't get experience now? And when the school board, in all its uneducated wisdom, decides to 'save money' by cancelling the annual musical production, Rile knows she has to take matters into her own hands.

But when Riley borrows her mom's car - without permission - she's grounded and given the worst punishment ever ... she has to spend her after school hours in her dad's game store (where the geeks sit around and play Dungeons and Dragons in the afternoons).

Riley, wise and worldly, spots some romance tension among the afternoon nerds and makes a deal with the geek, Nathan who is having trouble getting one of the gamer girls to even notice him despite his huge crush. Riley promises to 'fake flirt' with Nathan, which she guarantees will make the crush sit up and take notice. In exchange, maybe Nathan can cover for her from time to time as she has plans to for convincing the school to keep the musical. Nathan agrees and even offers to 'fake flirt' back with her to make Riley's 'ex' jealous.

Who would ever expect that there's a lot more behind the 'fake' flirting? Who would ever imagine that there are so many similarities between theatre and LARPing (Live Action Role Play)? Riley's 'punishment' brings two geeky worlds together and also helps Riley connect with her father whom she hasn't spent much time with since her parents' divorce.

I. Had. Fun. This was a really delightful, even if predictable, read. Everyone, even the likely teen reading this, knows that Riley and Nathan are going to get together. This isn't a secret and it's not meant to be. The fun is in the development of the characters (which is very well done).

Although Riley made a mistake and is being punished by her parents, we really like Riley. She is the outgoing but nice girl that every high has (or should have). She's not clueless - except when it comes to the boy closest to her. Even then, though, she thinks she sees something but she doesn't want to put thoughts or words into her head. Riley is the focus of the book and she is very much the most well-crafted of the characters. And while Nathan plays a big role (no pun intended), there's really not much to his character. We never get to know anything about him other than what's important to Riley and that he steps up when it matters.

Although I've never been a teenage girl, I was a musical theatre and gaming geek in my school days (still am in my approaching retirement days), so there was a huge appeal to me. I am glad it didn't disappoint! It was so nice to read a YA book that it overall positive and uplifting and not full of angst and drama (despite the title).

Looking for a good book? Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce is a fun RomCom for teens and geeks of all ages.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, through Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, as always, a big thank you to NetGalley and Random House. I received an eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. Let’s get into it.

I DNF’d this book. Early too.

Why? A few reasons actually.

The characters felt a little flat which made it hard to really care about them and their motivations. And when describing a character, the author felt the need to describe them all as white aside from I think two POC. Literally, “a white guy” “white kid” “white guy” over and over. Guess we aren’t allowed to have diversity in this one. It was really annoying.

Also, there are mixed kids who look white until you actually look at them, plus white passing Black people. Like, not everyone who looks white is but nah, we have to be told, explicitly, that all these people are white. We can’t get a story with a diverse cast at all.

Next, the main character decides that she wants to go see a musical with her friend, but her friend’s car breaks down. What does she do? Take her mom’s car without permission and drives super far to go see it. Without a license.

What’s her punishment?

Her mom and dad are divorced. Dad runs a game store, mom’s an interior designer. He used to work in IT but this was his passion. And they got divorced over it due to the perceived expense and time drain.

As if being an interior designer leaves you free for all kinds of family time? The mother at one point literally says this is a busy time for her. So it’s kind of good that she’s spending more of it with her father.

Now, back to the punishment.

Spending that time with her father IS the punishment. She has to work at his game store.

“Hey, you know your dad’s dream that I never supported? Talked bad about in front of you and let drive a wedge between us until we got divorced? That’s your punishment! Actually spending time there!”

That’s absolutely disgusting.

There’s no respect for the dad at all. And he’s actually really happy that she’s there too.

I’ve read a ton of stories where the teen MC has divorced parents and is forced to stay with one. And those parents had genuine reasons for getting divorced. This was just infuriating to read. Like, wow. And you’re supposed to be considered a good parent?

She’s trash talked this guy and his dream store so much in the last five years that his daughter was surprised to see her dad has friends there! And has fun! And that the store is actually selling! She actually thinks “maybe I just wanted him to be lonely” and that right there comes straight from the mom talking poorly about him.

I couldn’t stand this girl, or her mother. And the way everything was unfolding just bothered me.

I can’t recommend this book. I couldn’t even finish it.

I love Dungeons and Drama. It was well written and I loved how it balenced musicals and D&D. I couldn't put it down and I hope for a sequel because i enjoyed the characters so much! I loved how the 2 groups of friends ended up becoming best friends each bringing somthing different to the story. The chemistry between Riley and Nathan is the perfect balance of wanting, playfulness, and pretending they don't have feelings for eachother. This is the perfect book to read if your looking for something light and entertaining. It had a great mixture of comedy and romance without being too overly detailed with the romance. I highly recommend this book.

Disclaimer: I received this e-arc from the publisher. Thanks! All opinions are my own.

Book: Dungeons and Drama

Author: Kristy Boyce

Book Series: Standalone

Rating: 5/5

Diversity: MM romance side couple, South Asian character

Recommended For...: young adult readers, contemporary, romance, D&D, Musicals, RomCom

Publication Date: January 9, 2024

Genre: YA Romance

Age Relevance: 13+ (romance, underage drinking)

Explanation of Above: This is a romance book, so there are some cute romance moments but nothing PG+. There are also mentions of underage drinking.

Publisher: Delacorte Press

Pages: 304

Synopsis: 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...

Review: This book was so cute. It was so cute that I went out and bought the book recently because I could not stop thinking about it. And I'm also really excited for the second book in this little series. Anyways, this book focuses on our main character Riley who is a big theater geek. She loves musical theater and a lot of her references in the book are devoted to musical theater, but particularly those of classical musical theater and not modern musical theater, which... Eh not a fan. Anyways, in the book our main character is trying to figure out a way to save her school's theater program and she gets grounded from taking her mom's car to a theater performance and ends up at her dad's gaming shop where a group of employees and other kids play D&D on the regular there. The main character meets with one of the other employees whose name is Nathan and yeah it's a YA romance, what do you expect lol. I thought the book was really cute and it did so well at developing all the characters and building this really big story. The world building felt really well fleshed out and I just can't wait to dive back into the world of this book. I also love that the author merged both dungeons& dragons and musical theater in this book. It would seem like a really unlikely pairing, but… ya know bards exist lol.

My only slight thing that I didn't like about it was that the ending was a little quick in my opinion, but also all of the musical references being classical rather than modern. I feel like that's more of a me thing though because I'm more of a modern musical theater lover than a classical musical theater lover, but you know I would have liked to see a little more RENT rather than a little more Hello Dolly.

Verdict: I loved it so much. New fave.

**Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the E-ARC. This is my honest (albeit late) review**

This exceeded expectations! I want more YA romances like this one.

It starts off a little slow but once we reach the point of no return for Nathan and Rileys fake dating plan, it keeps a nice pace.

I love the chemistry between the main couple. It had a touch of enemies to lovers vibes and a whole lot of fun tidbits for the theater and DnD kids. I love the family relationships and friendship dynamics that are explored without losing track of the main couple.

I also love that the FMC may change and gain new interests but it doesn't overshadowed who she is and what she is passionate about.

Bonus points for queer side characters and diverse rep worked seamlessly into the story.

This is what I would consider tame on the teen romance spice spectrum. Internal thoughts and bodily reactions are kept G rated imo. I would 100% be okay with my middle schooler reading this if they wanted with no concerns. Plenty of sweet moments and laugh out loud banter.

This was adorable.

Five reasons to read this one!

1. DND - I have never played DND but after reading these books I feel like I'm severely missing out!
2. Fake Dating Trope - I enjoyed every minute of Riley and Nathan's fake dating to lovers storyline. They were so cute together and it all felt natural in it's development.
3. Friendship - I loved how easily Riley's friend settled into the DND group. They definitely found their people!
4. Family Dynamics - Riley's parents have recently divorced and after taking her mom's car without permission, and with no license, she's been relegated to working at her dad's game shop. Let's just say her relationship with her dad isn't a close one so getting to see them learn to understand each other was one of my favorite parts of this one.
5. Love of the Arts - Riley loves a good musical and I loved watching her bring that part of herself into their DND games. It was fun watching her bring together her classmates and friends to try to convince her school officials that having the musical in the schools is important. It was great!

I definitely recommend this one!

This was a cute read. If you actually play D&D you will probably get a little more out of it but you can go into it knowing nothing about the game and being just fine. Sweet and cute its got your normal high school tropes, fake dating and lots of miss/no communication. Over all, a light read with a few broken family issues thrown in and a happy ending.

As a lover of all things geek culture, I thought this was absolutely adorable. I thought the family storyline was extremely touching, and all of the characters in this book were so unique and fun.