Between that adorable cover and the cute, fake dating premise, I was really looking forward to this one.

Riley has gotten in trouble with her parents for driving without a license and they decide to ground her by forcing her to work in her father’s gaming store. While there, she meets Nathan, another employee and the two of them eventually agree to fake date each other.

This was a cute little read, but very slow moving. The reasoning for Nathan participating in the fake dating didn’t make much sense to me. Why would he want to attract a girl who is only interested in unavailable guys? This is a very short read at just over 300 pages, so there wasn’t a lot of fake dating or chemistry or feels between them. Riley went from finding Nathan annoying to swooning over him practically overnight.

I also didn’t really enjoy the side plot with Riley’s divorced parents, especially her mother. It seemed like the mother put Riley in the middle of the divorce and that didn’t seem right to me.

I really enjoyed the D&D moments and the friend group. They were all very different from each other but they were always there for each other and it was very sweet.

Overall this was a cute, younger end of YA read.

So cute! I loved this high school romance, especially since I was a theater kid myself. I really appreciated that none of the characters tried to change anything about themselves - they all just seem to know who they are and are good with it. Plus, any book set in Ohio is an automatic win for me.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

"Dungeons and Drama" by Kristy Boyce has officially kicked my obsession with fake-dating romance books into overdrive with this one. Boyce masterfully weaves the fake-dating premise into an engaging plot, delivering a fresh and creative narrative that had me hooked from the very start. For enthusiasts of YA fake dating, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, and delightful teasing banter, this book is an absolute must-read – a perfect blend of romance and wit that I wholeheartedly recommend.

I extend my heartfelt gratitude to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for granting me the privilege of ereading this book in advance.

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...

————————————————————

Tropes:
🐉 Fake-Dating
🐉 Enemies-to-Lovers

Where to start………
I absolutely loved this story. It was the perfect YA romance.
Riley loves musical theatre and gets sent to work at her dads gaming store after joyriding in her moms car.
Nathan works and spends all his extra time at the gaming store.
The two of them could not be more opposite - but you know what they say - opposites attract.
This was a cute, cozy, and nostalgic read. All of the characters were lovable and the plot was followed through and through.
Before starting this book I thought it was going to be cheesy - I’m so glad I was proven wrong. It was not cheesy. It was a super cute YA romance that put me right in my feels.

I hope to see more of Riley and Nathan in the future.


⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

Such a cute book! I love the fake dating trope. Throw in musicals and nerdy role playing games, and it just elevated everything! Adorable! ❤️

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

Riley and Hoshiko are best friends and obsessed with musical theater. So when Hoshiko's car breaks down on their way to see Waitress, Riley "borrows" her mom's car and drives her and Hoshiko there. But Riley doesn't have a license, so the parentals are furious.

Riley and her mom are tight, but her mom's design business is busy so she can't keep an eye on grounded Riley most evenings. So Riley is forced to work at her dad's tabletop gaming store as punishment, even though she's never seen most of the games on the shelves.

When her ex-boyfriend goes to the store with his brand new girlfriend, Riley panics and says she also has a new beau. But when no name jumps to mind, she blurts the first thing she can think of -- fellow game store employee Nathan. But Nathan has a crush on a girl from his D&D game, so Riley comes up with a deal. She'll flirt with Nathan at their D&D game so the other player will be interested in him, and Nathan will pretend to be her boyfriend at school where her ex can see them.

Romance readers, you'll know where this is going...

Recommended for teens (and adults) who are into musical theater, or gaming, or both. Romance readers who like the fake dating and enemies to lovers tropes, and those who are here for the will-they-won't-they buildup instead of steamy romance will also enjoy.

Romance rating: G (kissing and cuddling)

Representation: main character with divorced parents, Asian-American side character, gay side characters

When Riley gets grounded and is forced to work at her dad's game store, little does she know she is about to fall into a dilemma of her own making: a fake-dating scheme.

I really enjoy books that employ the fake-dating trope. It's usually fun, humorous, and keeps me guessing about when the train-wreck will happen, when they'll go from faking to feeling it for real. Boyce does this dance well, and her characters are so adorable, it was really fun to see them play off of each other and, eventually, fall for each other.

As someone who plays a lot of D&D, I really enjoyed this aspect of it. I love musical theater, too, so I liked seeing this combo of interests. I also enjoyed how different from each other Riley and Nathan are, which leads to some fun rivalry and a bit of enemies-to-lovers thrown in.

The story is fun, light, and full of drama. I would say that it's also predictable, but I don't mind it in this case because it's a rom-com and, to a certain point, all rom-coms are predictable. I was entertained, which is the important thing. I love all of the characters and I think that the writing is good. The story kept me engaged and I was rooting for Riley and Nathan the whole way.

I would recommend this book to any romance lover, especially if they're either into musical theater or D&D, and if they happen to like fake-dating, this is a bonus!

This was an amazing read, I devoured this book in 2 days. The premise for the book is so cute and different. I'm not into Dungeons & Dragons myself (I've honestly never tried it out so maybe I would be if I did) but the idea that someone who is into drama and musicals getting into role playing doesn't seem like that far of a stretch. I love an enemies to lovers story, and this one did it well. There are a lot of times in this book when they almost poke fun at everything and I appreciate that kind of humor. The characters were done really well and I loved the journey that the characters took. I love the friendship in the book, both the guys and girls. This book could appeal to so many people even, it has so many qualities that lead to a good story. I've already been recommending this book to people that I know, I'm so excited about it.

I can't honestly think of anything about this book that I would change or improve upon - it was just that good.

Thanks to #netgalley for an advance copy of #DungeonsandDrama by Kristy Boyce to read and review.

𝘈 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘳𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘳𝘭 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘨𝘢𝘮𝘦𝘳 𝘣𝘰𝘺... 𝘢 𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘰𝘱𝘱𝘰𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵.

𝘋𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢 features Riley serving out the consequences of her reckless behaviour in her dad's Videogame shop and faking a relationship with fellow coworker Nathan in a mutually beneficial agreement to make his crush jealous and fend off her jerk of an ex.

- ~ -

Riley was a little crazy when it came to musicals and all things theatres. Dramatic would be apt. But she fell just as crazily for the infuriating and enegmatic Nathan.

Nathan had no business being this swoony in a YA romance. He always pushed her buttons for the better and embraced her extra. Even played the jealous boyfriend role too convincingly some might say.

The way the story played out with the perfect balance of passion for their respective hobbies and figuring out new stuff together and apart was incredible.

3.97 / 5✩

𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘙𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘥𝘳𝘦𝘯'𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘕𝘦𝘵𝘨𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘺. 𝘈𝘭𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘮𝘺 𝘰𝘸𝘯.

Absolutely funny and adorable! I’ve been interested in joining a D&D campaign for awhile as I got older and reading this book with details about the game makes me want commit even more. I loved the story arch surrounding a group of high school kids working and playing at a nerdy game store shop because its similar to my own experiences from college. I think Kristy Boyce created a whole new interesting book troupe that was different than most of the romance or high schooler books I have read before. I liked the concept of a nerd and drama geek working and then eventually getting together to help each other out. Honestly, I think both personalities go hand in hand in a way, which the author also addressed.

Overall, I absolutely loved the story and plot turns. The characters were well-written with their own unique traits and personality that intermingled with each other while gaming. While the story’s setting in high school gave me cringe-worthy nightmares, I liked the nostalgic parts of the friend groups and nerds gaming to have fun. Brought back a lot of fond memories of times I’ve had with friends in high school and later in life. By far, Dungeons & Drama is one of the best books I have read this year!

this book was so freaking cute ! i have been getting more into dungeons and dragons and this was a great book to feed this in me

UGH! This book is being added to my bookstore cart at this very moment. I will be recommending it in the future!

Kristy has done it again in completely capturing my heart with the most swoon worthy couple! I've always been a fan of fake dating, enemies to lovers, and slow burn, but toss in theater drama and D&D games, and I was in before I even started.

Riley gets punished after stealing her mother's car and is forced to work in her dad's gaming store with Nathan. It's there that Nathan and Riley drum up a fake dating scheme to get back at Riley's ex and help Nathan win over a toxic girl he has a crush on. The scheme also produces the cutest fake couple that I can not get over.

The story is strong, the characters bounding off the page into the real world. I kept sending sentences of the book that blew me away to my own boyfriend, the D&D nerd to my theater geek. The book holds a magical captivity on the reader, refusing to let them go and making you want to reach that heartbreaking ending before the happily ever after.

I could not put this book down! I finished it in 3 days and loved every minute!

Riley's life is flipped upside down when she's forced to work at her dad's gaming store as a punishment. Her life only revolves around musicals, drama, and becoming the assistant director to her school's spring musical. Her coworker Nathan is the complete opposite being interested in anything game related and being far away from school functions. While these two clash in both personality and style, eventually they find common ground while lying about their fake relationship.

This book is full of silly situations, fun friendships, and an enemies to lovers romance that felt way too long in the best possible way.

If you love dungeons & dragons, romance, and comedy this book is for you!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's, Delacorte Press for allowing me to read an eArc in exchange for an honest review. All the views and opinions expressed in this review are purely my own and not affiliated with any brand.

Nerds unite! I LOVED this book so much! My only thing is I was hoping for even more D&D. I have not personally played and don't really understand how D&D works, so I was very intrigued by this story. After reading it, I really want to learn more about D&D. Kristy Boyce does an amazing job writing a compelling and interesting book that fans of musicals and fans of D&D would enjoy! You don't have to know anything about D&D to enjoy this book! I would absolutely recommend the book! Do yourself a favor and read it!

Small Business BookTok ARC Reviews: "Dungeons and Drama" by Kristy Boyce

Note: This ARC was given to me for free by the author and/or publisher and I am reviewing this book voluntarily.

Riley is a theater kid and musical lover with big dreams of one day directing a musical production. When Riley is sent to work at her dad's game shop for 8 weeks as punishment for borrowing her mom’s car without permission one night, she meets Nathan, an employee and D&D enthusiast. On top of everything else, Riley has to worry about saving her school’s musical and trying to get back at her ex-boyfriend. Both in relationship conflicts of their own, they make a deal; she’ll flirt with him to make his crush jealous and get her attention, and he’ll flirt with her to make her ex jealous and leave her alone. Can Riley keep up the charade, make her ex jealous, and find a way to save the school production while working at the game shop after school? They rolled the dice on a deal, but they didn’t know they rolled on Romance!

Musical lovers, theater enthusiasts, and Dungeons, and Dragons fans, this is 100% the book for you! This was such a fun YA Rom-Com to read! Growing up with theater camp and being a musical theater lover myself, I connected with not only the narrative, but also the nostalgic musical theater nods and references. Dungeons and Dragons is also mentioned a good deal throughout the narrative as well as some chapters either go into some details about campaign dynamics or they might give nods and references to certain D&D classes and species. The message of the narrative itself also acts as an important commentary on responsibility and how we should balance our priorities, or balance the things we want to do from the things we need to do in life. 

Riley and Nathan were also interesting characters to follow throughout the narrative. While their chemistry started a bit messy, we see how their relationship progressed for the better throughout the narrative and how both characters brought out the best in each other. While Riley and Nathan were complete opposites of each other, they were able to bond, understand, and learn from each other’s interests through a common passion built on creativity and community. D&D and Theatre, in some ways, have common grounds as both the game and the profession involve dedication via acting, understanding the world-building and characters of the narrative the participant is working with, improvisation, annunciation, (or projection of volume), direction, and teamwork. Some D&D campaigns have even gone on to become movies and television hits such as “Dungeons and Dragons: Honor Among Thieves” and “The Legend of Vox Machina”! If you’re looking for a fun, wholesome YA book with tons of Rom-Com hijinks with a dash of theater and gaming nostalgia, don’t miss out on this book when it hits online shelves on January 9th, 2024!

Rating: 5/5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

-Tropes to Expect: Fake Flirting, Co-Workers-to-Lovers, Theater Kid x D&D Gamer, Musical Narrative, D&D Campaign Narrative, Love Square, Homecoming Narrative, and Opposites Attract!

 -Trigger Warnings: Mentions of Divorce, Health Scare, Brief Hospitalization, and Relationship Anxiety.

I really really like this book and I think if I was the target audience, I would've absolutely loved it! This cover so many high school age struggles so well.

Thank you Random House and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Riley’s grounded for taking her love of musical theater too far. She’s put to work in her Dad’s gaming store after school and on weekends.

There, she runs into her ex-boyfriend and his new girl browsing the store and finds herself making up a new relationship of her own. One with her fellow employee and school peer, Nathan.

Nathan’s a quiet, reserved gamer. The opposite, personality wise, of the extroverted, brightly clothed Riley. But he has a long time crush on a gamer girl and fake dating Riley might just help (finally) move things along. So, he agrees with her request to fake it.

The more time Riley and Nathan spend together, of course, the more the line between faking it and really feeling it blurs. Riley also finds herself enjoying gaming and forming friendships with Nathan’s gamer friends.

When Riley’s grounding ends sooner than expected and she’s no longer required to work at the gaming store, she’s faced with a roller coaster of choices and emotions her pre-grounded self never would have seen coming.

This was a fast-paced and enjoyable read with a fun cast of characters a, great premise, and a nice splash of gaming and musical theater references. Highly recommend!

Thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

A really enjoyable read! I thought the central romance was sweet and well-developed and I enjoyed the characters and how they interacted with each other. I did find bizarre that in a book where one romantic lead is into musical theatre, and the other is a fan of Weird Al that the Hamilton Polka did not come up once, but that's perfectly forgivable.

I loved this book! It was so adorable and had me rooting for the characters the whole way through. I especially loved the romantic tropes included and the friendship/found family aspects. Overall a great YA read!