A very cute read! A bit superficial and overly cheesy at times, but overall a quick, fun book. 3.5/5

When I read the synopsis of Kristy Boyce’s upcoming romance, “Dungeons and Drama,” I thought of the secret knowledge I would find out about Dungeons and Dragons while also having a chance to reminisce about choir. This young adult romance set in rural Ohio brings together musical-theater-loving Riley Morris and gamer Nathan Wheeler. They meet at Riley’s Dad store, “Sword and Board Games.” Riley has to work there as punishment for taking her Mom’s car and driving without a license to see Sara Bareilles’ “Waitress” with her bestie, Hoshiko. Her first day on the job, Riley thinks her fellow employee Nathan is stealing merchandise and confronts him. It’s not the best meeting. But when her ex, Paul, brings his new flame, Lainey, by the “Sword and Board,” Riley tells him she’s dating, too: Nathan. Oh, my! Nathan is interested in Sophia, a pretty girl who off-and-on plays D&D, so Riley hatches a plan that will help them both. She persuades Nathan to roleplay as lovestruck teens with her. That will make her ex and his crush jealous. The two start their own LARP game as lovers to make their targets notice them, but is it all just role-playing?

While one phony relationship begins, another strained, but real relationship is tested. Riley’s Mom Shannon and Dad Joel agreed on this arrangement for Riley’s punishment for two reasons. 1. They can keep an eye on Riley, who isn’t supposed to take part in after-school activities, and 2. Riley and her Dad can spend time together. The father-daughter duo spend a limited amount of time together since her parents’ divorce 4-5 years ago. Riley feels a strong loyalty to her mom and sees her Dad as an outsider. Their relationship changes as Riley learns more about her Dad and his store. She thought he must love her, of course, but she didn’t know how much he knew about her life. She takes steps forward with him, but then all the feelings and beliefs about her Dad that she suppressed come out in an emotional standoff. The two have to take steps back to move forward in their relationship.

I thought the teen romances in this YA story were page-turning delights. The friendship between Riley and Hoshiko, her bestie, made my heart happy…and made me miss my high school friends. Riley started to see outside of her own sphere, and she and Hoshiko expanded their little bubble to include new friendships and interests. Riley also shows greater maturity as the story develops. Her times of self-reflection show her mentally navigating how she feels about different relationships. She looks beyond herself and her needs more often than the reverse. She learns how important family is and how much support she really has all around her.

In the background of the love story, Boyce writes about Riley’s theater aspirations. Riley learned the principal cut the musical due to a limited budget and lack of interest, so she asked Miss Sahni, the music teacher, if she can come up with a plan to save the show. Her teacher is receptive and encouraging, but also seemed just a bit happy to not have that added workload. Riley started researching shows the students could perform at low cost. She and Hoshiko looked at their current inventory of props and costumes. She gauged the interest of teens who might want to perform in the show. She even investigated licensing issues. I am certain that young readers will like Riley because she took the initiative and invested her talents and interests into what she thought was such a worthwhile cause. But that part of the story just didn’t interest me, even with my former love of all things choir and theater. Her music teacher didn’t seem to want the show until later in the story, so maybe she gave off vibes and I inhaled them or something.

That said, I enjoyed the world Boyce created at the game store and at school. I loved that Nathan wore glasses and not contacts. Yay! Glasses wearers unite! And Riley’s colorful wardrobe reminded me of younger me. I dressed like a cross between Molly Ringwald, Anthony Michael Hall, with a little bit of Judd Nelson thrown into the mix. (John Hughes’ movies inspired my wardrobe choices.) I could relate with Riley’s creative process. I think young readers will love this romance. “What could go wrong?” is the prevailing question the reader is eager to answer as the unsuspecting couple pretends to like each other and their actions lead to unintended feelings and consequences. It's proof that you really can “fake it ‘til you make it.”

what a charming, quick YA read! As a lover of all things games and nerdy, this plot really spoke to me and I was rooting for the couple from the very beginning. The writing was just okay, nothing special. The pacing was good though! I was never bored and enjoyed this read a lot :)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!!

This book was absolutely adorable. Funny, charming, & heartwarming. I loved all the characters and their dynamics.

Riley & Nathan were so obvious it was frustrating. I love and hate the fake dating trope for this reason. And I could see why Nathan didn’t like her in the beginning. There was a lot of resentment and also probably jealously coming from his end. Them driving around together and fake flirting made me so mad cause I was like “JUST KISS ALREADY!!”

The DND party was also really fun. I don’t know anything about DND but seeing them be silly and cute together was so wholesome. They seem like an amazing group of friends. And the way they came together in the end. It was so sweet! Riley seemed like a cool person and I would have loved to be friends with her. The way she wasn’t afraid to be bold and stand out in a crowd is something we all need a little bit of.

I recommend this if you enjoy cute YA romance with low stakes or if you like the fake dating trope like me! I also just really enjoy stuff that’s easy and will rot my teeth like this did.

Unfortnately, this book was not for me. I loved the cover and got swept away with the description and failed to realize it's an author who I have read before and wasn't a fan of. That said, I was hoping that the themes of the story and the content might make me more interested, so I decided not to let that deter me and hoped for this to be a happy accident second chance. I will say, one of my issues last time I read something by this author was I felt the characters were too generic and I did not have that issue with Dungeons and Drama. However, I still was not really invested. I liked it more than I anticipated but ultimately this wasn't for me.

Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce is a charming, and intelligent look at how people with very different interests can become involved.

Riley is a high school junior with a love of musical theater. As a result, she takes her mother's car and drives her best friend to see Waitress in the city. She gets caught, and her parents punish her by forcing her to work in her father's game shop for eight weeks.

Nathan is also a junior who works in the store. He resents Riley for taking hours from him, and for her dislike of the store. He loves playing D&D as much as she loves theater.

Nathan has an obvious crush on the only girl playing in the game with his group. Riley's ex-boyfriend shows up at the store with his new girlfriend, and she claims to be dating Nathan.

She persuades Nathan to pretend to be her boyfriend to avoid humiliation. The other girl will see his interest in Riley, and get jealous. The plan develops in ways they don't expect.

The characters are complex and the relationships between them grow in ways that are realistic.

I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley and am leaving this review voluntarily.

Riley is a theater kid that ends up working at her dad’s gaming store as punishment, missing after school activities with her friends. While trying to get back at her ex Paul, accidentally saying she’s dating Nathan, a nerdy boy at school and her new coworker. Together they scheme to help Nathan get the girl in their D&D group and Paul to stop bothering her.

Even though Riley hated the idea of spending 8 weeks grounded at the store, she comes to enjoy the time with her dad and making new friends, realizing her feelings for Nathan may be more than just platonic.

This was such a fun, cute and wholesome low stakes teen romance! I found the characters super lovable and sweet. I’m a fan of fake dating tropes and this was done very well in addition to the save-the-musical-plot, general high school-ness and slight 2000s teen movie vibes. I adored all the geeky-nerdy references to games and movies, Riley’s eccentric fashion sense and the group of friends coming together to save the day. A quick delightful read!!

Thanks to Netgalley for an early copy to review.

📖 ARC REVIEW 📖

Thank you @delacortepress for an early copy of Dungeons and Drama by @kristylboyce. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. 🤍

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.5/5
Release date: January 9th, 2024

Blurb: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/160047094-dungeons-and-drama?ac=1&from_search=true&qid=ZVQTEBFfTg&rank=1

🛑Read on with caution; review may contain spoilers🛑

Dungeons and Drama is such a cute opposites attract, fake-dating romance novel! I couldn’t stop smiling as I was reading this one; the main characters Nathan and Riley were just the cutest! Riley is a passionate theater kid, while Nathan is a gamer; these two opposites make an unlikely deal to fake date in order to make Nathan’s crush Sophia jealous and take notice of him and make Riley’s ex-boyfriend Paul see what he missed breaking up with her. The more they spent their time working at Riley’s dad’s game store and fake flirting, the more their co-worker relationship turned into friendship and into something more (their flirting was too damn cute, btw huhu 🥹🥹). I enjoyed how they got to know each other and how Nathan learned how passionate Riley is about theater. Although I couldn’t relate to most of the gaming lingo, I also loved how Riley, being new to the game store and all the regulars that come and go there every day, was able to find friendship with them, despite their different social circles. It felt like she found another home with them, apart from her best friend Hoshiko and her theater group.

Dungeons and Drama was such a delightful novel! I can’t wait for other readers to pick this one up. It’ll surely make you swoon with Nathan and Riley’s chemistry and giggle along with their friendship with the other gamers.

PS: I really wish we got Nathan’s POV. I kept wondering throughout the book what his inner thoughts were about fake flirting/dating Riley. And honestly, I want more of his trash talk on Paul lol 😆

Super fun read! Enjoyed the theme of it, thought that was really interesting and unique. Definity a fun, quick read that is a good time.

This was a fun read and I loved the setting mostly taking place in a game store!

The book is told from one point-of-view and it comes from Riley. She loves anything that involves musicals and Broadway. She is hoping to become an assistant director for her school’s next performance. Things don’t always go according to plan and because of one choice she is now having to work at her dad’s game shop.

I really liked the setting for the book. I am an avid gamer, but not the board game style ones or D&D. I have always wanted to try it out though! It was fun to see how Riley reacted to her new surroundings and those that had different interests from her. It brought her new friends, experiences, and a closer relationship with her dad. It was all very heartwarming. There were times that Riley could be a bit selfish with her choices but I do think she learns a lot from everything in the end. I did like her character and felt like my teen self would have related well to her.

The “fake” relationship that she finds herself in was full of banter and very sweet moments between the two! I liked seeing them become more than co-workers. They learn a lot about one another and help each other out.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read! I got through it rather quickly since it was hard to put down!

This was a super adorable "fake dating" YA romance. For teens who like board games, D&D, and musical theatre, this is a fun, sweet romance.

I appreciated this novel, not all teens go through the same things. Especially not the teens interested in choir,theater and gaming, it's a breath of fresh air to read a ya about a teen that in some ways resembled my self and friends as teenagers and young adults. It was a cute cozy teen Romance and very fun to curl up with. I especially like how realistic the kind of trouble kids who have those interests get into.

This was such a cute YA Rom-Con with fake dating and rolling D20's! I loved our theatrical main character Riley which reminded me of my theater/choir days. Having the cross over of D&D and theater kids would be an amazing thing to see live as they'd all be bards trying to sing show tunes to up their party's strengths or seduce the dragon...s....hoard. This would be an excellent YA movie adaptation for D&D players and theater people alike.

Look I am but a simple girl. Nerdy love interest? Theater drama? Enemies to lovers AND fake dating? SIGN ME UP

DUNGEONS AND DRAMA gives me everything that my romance-loving heart needs and wants. The romantic tention between Riley and Nathan? Their banter? OTHER WORLDLY!

"Dungeons and Drama" by Kristy Boyce is a fun and engaging young adult romcom centered around Riley, a musical enthusiast with aspirations of becoming a director on Broadway. Riley's plans hit a snag when she's grounded for taking her mom's car without permission. As a punishment, she has to spend her after-school hours working at her dad's game shop, diverting her attention from her goal of bringing back her high school's spring musical.

In an attempt to get out of her responsibilities, Riley strikes a deal with Nathan, a nerdy teen employee at the game shop. She convinces him to cover her shifts, and in return, she agrees to flirt with him to make his crush jealous. However, things take an unexpected turn when Riley finds herself joining Nathan's Dungeons & Dragons game.

The story unfolds with a delightful mix of fake dating hijinks, romance, and the unexpected enjoyment of role-playing in the world of Dungeons & Dragons. As Riley navigates the complexities of her teenage life, the novel explores themes of friendship, romance, and self-discovery.

"Dungeons and Drama" promises to be an entertaining read for fans of young adult romance, especially those who enjoy stories with a blend of humor, gaming, and the challenges of high school life. The novel captures the spirit of youthful aspirations and the unexpected connections that can arise in the most unlikely situations.

Woah everything about this book pulled me in. The title, the cute cover, the description. Then I realized the MMC’s name is Nathan which is my son’s name, but that won’t bother you unless your son’s name is also Nathan LOL.

Besides that, this was fun and different. It brought joy to my gamer heart. My entire family is a big gaming family yet all a little different variety of gaming. If you’re not into games, don’t fret. The interests of the characters is a whole journey. Nerdy boys and musical girls, their friend group, the family dynamic, oh my heart!

The two fake dating is so swoony, I knew it was over for them as soon as it started. Cute, fluffy YA reading that YA can actually read!

I absolutely loved this!! The characters seemed so realistic. There was lots of drama and angst. It was funny and the characters are so lovable. I felt like the ending was a bit anticlimactic though. But I would definitely recommend.

Not my cup of tea. Cheesy and little boring. Does have a very interesting and intriguing title though I’ll give it that though.

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.

When Riley's ex comes into the store, trying to get her to admit she misses him, she tells him that she's dating Nathan—a nerdy teen employee who she doesn't get along with. She then has to convince Nathan to flirt with her 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.

I picked this up because I am a theater nerd who grew up playing Dungeons & Dragons. I don't generally read young adult romance so I'm not sure how this compares, but I liked it. Having the boys in the D&D group find common ground with Riley and her best friend seemed plausible. Riley had some much needed personal growth at the end of the book.

This book has all the tropes. Fake dating, forced proximity, friends to lovers...if any of these annoy you, this book isn't for you. But if these are your catnip, read it.

The perfect ya romance! So romantic, dynamic characters, funny and emotional all at once.

Riley is a die-hard theater kid. When her best friend and she takes her mom's car (without a driver's license) to go see Waitress traveling Broadway, she does not look forward to paying for her crimes when she gets caught. She has to work at her dad's game store for 8 weeks while also not participating in any theater activities. When her ex-boyfriend shows up to obnoxiously gloat at the shop, she accidentally blurts out that she is, in fact, in another relationship.... with Nathan, a gamer boy that she is not exactly on good terms with.

This had so many things I loved in it. The incorporation of the game shop feeling like a home away from home to the many that gather there for different reasons is something I can definitely relate to. Not to mention the undeniable charm of the two main characters. I thoroughly enjoyed every second of this read!

Out January 9, 2024!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!