I binged this in less than a day. I could not put it down. I loved the gaming aspects of the book as well as the musical theater aspects. I have done DnD campaigns before and I play Magic, so it was nice see that representation. The friendships in the book were great and it was just a good read.

Riley is grounded after driving a friend hours away to see a musical…at night…without a drivers license. Part of her punishment is working at her dad’s gaming store. While there, she meets Nathan. Nathan likes a girl he plays DnD with and Riley’s ex showed up with his new girlfriend. Both Riley and Nathan would benefit from a fake dating situation - romcom gold. Along side this, the school musical gets cancelled because of budget issues and Riley LIVES for musical theater. She will do anything to save the musical because she aspires to be a theater director. This story weaves both aspects together flawlessly.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing a copy for review.

This book was too cute! It took me a minute to get into the book, but once I got hooked, I loved it! I would definitely recommend this to anyone looking for teenage readers or just someone looking for a cute, fluffy read!

A sweet and charming young adult romance novel from Kristy Boyce (author of Hot British Boyfriend and Hot Dutch Daydream). Kristy has done it again with a witty, endearing, and original rom-com about a fake dating scheme between a theater-obsessed girl and gamer boy. This book is perfect for pre-teens or younger teens who are picking up YA romance for the first time! The characters are in high school, but the antics and banter is accessible for younger readers as well.

So good and bingeable! I laughed, but this book also managed to tug on my heartstrings.
You have your romantic comedy, but in the background is a story of a child finding a way to connect with a semi estranged parent.
I think I really connected with this one because I was a huge drama nerd in high school and always wanted a fake flirt situation.
Anyway! I'm super excited for this to come out!

I loved this book! It had all of the best tropes and I loved the nerdy aspect. I needed a romcom and this absolutely hit the spot. I would highly recommend to anyone who loves the enemies to lovers trope with some D&D and musicals thrown in.

This was such a good read! I was fully sucked into the story right away and I really enjoyed the characters. The journey the author took these characters on was exciting and unique which is something I am really interested in with books now. I will be recommending this book to all of my friends and family.

This is a really cute YA rom-com filled with gaming, theater, drama and fun!
I loved seeing D&D through their eyes and how Riley's view of it changed throughout the book. I liked her love of theater and drama and all the hijinks they got into.
I liked that working at the store also brought her closer to her dad.
This was a super fun read that I like many teens will enjoy!

Thanks NetGalley and Random House publishing for this ARC!

Ok this was cute as HECK! Nerdiness, theatre kids, and high school drama all wrapped up in a small town bow. I couldn’t put it down! This is the high school experience I wish I had 🥺 Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the advance copy.

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

I don't read a ton of romance, especially not Y.A. romance, but I am a huge D&D nerd so this caught my attention. It was a very fun romcom. I really enjoyed my time reading it.

The last thing that Riley wants to do is work at her dad's game store, but after "borrowing" her mom's car without permission (or a license), it is the punishment her divorced parents agree upon. Riley would much rather focus on figuring out a way to save her high school's spring musical.

Riley strikes a deal with her new co-worker Nathan that she will pretend to flirt with him so that he can catch the eye of his crush, and he won't tell her ex-boyfriend that she lied about her and Nathan being together. The best way for Riley to do this is join Nathan and his friends D&D campaign. Something that she thought she would hate, but finds it to be a great way to put her love of musicals to good use as a bard. Their plan seems to be working, but the lines between real and fantasy begin to blur. Riley realizes that the part she's playing doesn't feel like an act anymore, but Nathan's performance is too convincing for her to tell what's real.

A beautiful combination of romance and comedy for lovers of D&D and Drama. The characters are compelling and hilarious. A must-read for fans of the fake dating trope with a dash of whimsy!

A heartfelt and fun fake-dating romance! Perfect for fans of Dungeons & Dragons, broadway theater, and enemies-to-lovers fiction.

Riley is grounded for taking her mom's car without permission to go see an off-broadway show. Even though it was totally worth it, now she's stuck working at her dad's game store every day after school. Things go from bad to worse when she learns that the school has cancelled the annual spring musical. She is determined to bring it back and make her stage directing dreams come true. After an embarrassing exchange at the store with her ex boyfriend, Riley convinces her co-worker and classmate Nathan to pretend to be her new boyfriend so she can save face. In return, she'll flirt with him to make his crush, fellow D&D player Sophia, jealous. Riley didn't expect that she would have to join Nathan's D&D game herself, of that she'd enjoy it so much. Playing as a bard has its perks and she can sing her broadway show tunes to give buffs to other players! But as the charade goes on, Riley realizes that she doesn't have to act quite as hard as she thought she would, and Nathan's performance might be a little too convincing.

This is a fantastic romcom for grades 8 and up. The cast of characters is fantastic, and the mechanics of Dungeons and Dragons are not overwhelming, as Riley is a new player herself. All the classic fake-dating romcom moments are here! A must-purchase for school libraries, especially those whose patrons are D&D, drama, or romance fans.