Kathleen Kuhn <kateeeexo1@gmail.com>
9:32 PM (20 minutes ago)
to me

Thank you so much to Random House for approving me for one of my most anticipated ARCs. After reading and LOVING Dungeons and Drama, I hopped on reading this book right away!

Quinn starts at a new high school hoping to make friends. She hopes that her enjoyment of Dungeons and Dragons will be an "easy in" and hopes to join a group that plays. She receives an invitation to a group that is serious about playing D&D, more than she's ever experienced before. The group also streams and has strict rules - no phones during gameplay and no dating other members of the group. Quinn is cool with this until she becomes close with Logan. They don't start off on the best of terms, but that turns around super quick with their cute banter and flirty ways outside of game time.

These books are just overall super damn cute. I don't care that they're YA, they're quick and so much fun to read, and anyone who is into romance should pick up these books. Don't let the fact that they're pretty nerdy turn you away because they're easy to understand. As someone who has never played D&D before, Boyce makes you feel like you are a part of the game, and kind of makes you want to join a D&D group yourself.

The characters are wonderfully done. They're high school teenagers, they're supposed to be in the awkward stages of life, making new friends, and figuring out what they enjoy in life. They're supposed to be in that flirty teenager stage where they develop crushes on people and date. Boyce makes her characters realistic and well-developed. Some characters all feel the same, but it doesn't feel like they are in this book.

It is a bit dramatic even for a YA novel. The rule of no-dating is understandable but they truly take it to the next level and undermine the characters who want to go against the rule book. Even with this, the book still gets five stars from me because of the vibes of this book and how much I enjoyed reading it.

I actually may have loved this more than the first book!? & I truly hope this series continues with more books in the near future!

I loved this book so much!! The young love, the D&D, the vlogging... It was so fun. Kristy Boyce has such a way with pulling you in and making you feel those same feelings you did when you were a teen and falling in love.
I especially loved this book with the vlogging element - I used to vlog/podcast a D&D campaign and it is very near and dear to my heart.
I will continue to read books by this author. I think she does a fantastic job!!

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Press for the Advanced Reader Copy!

When I saw that a sequel to "Dungeons and Drama" was coming out. I dropped everything to request an ARC. I absolutely adored the first book in the series, so I was very much looking forward to this sequel. I'm happy to say that Kristy Boyce did not disappoint!

"Dating and Dragons" follows Quinn after her family moves closer to her grandmother, which works out in Quinn's favor since she had a falling out with her previous friend group at her old school. Thanks to her extroverted grandmother wanting a first-day-of-school picture, Quinn meets some fellow students (and a really cute boy!) who love D&D as much as her. When she stops by one afternoon to watch their game, she finds out they live stream their game to a sizable and loyal fanbase. She is welcomed into the group with open arms... as long as she follows their strict rules, which include no dating members of the group. However, she finds herself spending more and more time with the aforementioned cute boy, Logan, and she can't stop thinking about him! D&D means everything to her, so she can't just give it up for the sake of a boy, right?

Kristy Boyce's character and world-building are truly unmatched. Like in her first book, all the characters feel so fleshed out and realistic, from the awkward conversations while trying to make new friends to the unabashed enthusiasm teens have for their favorite things. "Dating and Dragons" continues the legacy of authentic nerdy teen narratives with so much humor and heart. I will say that I slightly enjoyed the first book more, but that shouldn't take away from the fact that this book is incredibly heartwarming and fun to read.

I received a digital arc from the publisher via Netgalley though all thoughts are my own.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series so was looking forward to seeing how the second one would be and wasn't disappointed.

I loved that much of this book was centered around playing D&D, friendship, family dynamics and learning how to navigate being at a new school.

It was awesome how Quinn was able to find a group of fellow D&D players who were welcoming and willing to help her navigate playing the game while on a live feed which was understandably a lot to take in at first.

While there was certainly an almost instant connection between Quinn and Logan when they met, I liked that things built up over time, that each of them didn't want to possibly break up the group over developing feelings and realizing that their feelings couldn't be just swept under the rug.

I also loved the banter particularly during some of the D&D sessions, the bonds that Quinn develops with her new friends who also happen to be fellow team mates and the overall fun vibes of the group together.

I can't say how the depictions of D&D are portrayed as I only have a casual understanding but I will say that this book was a joy and I hope that there will be more in the series!

Trigger warnings: bullying, misunderstandings, injury of a family member

This is a must-read book I don't want to give any spoilers, but you won't regret getting this book, you won't put it down till you're done reading the whole this.

This was an enjoyable quick read, but I had several issues with it once I sat back and thought about it.

First, the relationship is based entirely on a crush/lust. We don't get a good sense of who Logan is (and even Quinn is pretty flat). Most of the side characters don't get enough page time to be well-rounded. We keep being told that Logan is a great guy, but there's not enough there to build a relationship on beyond Logan and Quinn constantly wanting to kiss and being unable to keep their hands off each other. Yes, they text, and yes he helps her grandma out, but still.

"I'd have pressed you against that door and kissed you until the sun went down and I was your only source of heat," --- This line? from a teenage boy? No thank you.

Quinn's grandma is easily the best character with the most personality but she isn't in a lot of the book.

As someone else pointed out, the nonbinary character, Sloane, doesn't really get to do anything other than be the DM. And they give all the characters hats that they made. Meanwhile Quinn and Kashvi are making and selling D20 dice jewlry. Why doesn't Sloane get to sell their hats? Why doesn't Sloane get to do anything in the book other than DM?

There is so. Much. Drama. I know this is a teenage romance, so the characters are going to be dramatic, but it was over the top even for the genre. And I'm someone who loves this genre.

It was a fun popcorn read but I didn't enjoy it nearly as much as the first one.

*Thanks to Delacorte Romance for providing an early copy for review.

I am the mother of a middle school girl. She has entered the stage where she like romance stories, but I am one that is very careful to make sure that the romance stories she selects are appropriate, I previewed Dating And Dragons by reading the story before I let her start it. It was completely age appropriate and sweet.

Quinn’s family moves to a new city to be closer to her grandmother. This turns out to be advantageous since she just had a falling out with her best friend and their D&D group due to a dating gone wrong situation. The downside is starting over at a new high school halfway through her junior year. Her first day is off to an exceptional start when her grandmother insists on driving her. To commemorate the day, her grandmother summons over a random cutie named Logan to take Quinn’s first day of school photo. As you can imagine that left Quinn a bit embarrassed but also smitten. It can only go up from here, right? Making the best of the situation, Quinn makes two goals: procure new friends and a new D&D group.

As luck would have it, she meets Kashvi who also plays D&D. Kashvi would love to have another girl in the group and invites Quinn to the next game. However, this is not just any D&D group; they livestream and take it very seriously. To join you must follow four definite rules: No distractions. No side conversations. No phones. And most importantly, no dating other players! Sounds reasonable except that cutie Logan from her first day is part of the group. His demeanor changes from pleasant to off-putting when Quinn officially accepts the invitation. This confuses her because he was previously friendly. The rules suddenly seem easy. That is until Quinn’s meddling grandmother keeps putting them in situations together confusing her even more! Logan’s hot and cold behavior is warping her brain, and she starts to worry that history is repeating itself. But like how important are these rules anyway?

**4.5-stars**

Dating and Dragons is the 2nd-book in the Dungeons and Drama YA-Romance series. These books are companion novels that revolve around RPG-gaming, in particular, and as you may have guessed from the titles, Dungeons and Dragons.

In this installment, we're following Quinn and Logan. Quinn has recently moved and is starting at a new high school. She hopes that joining a D&D group will be her opportunity to make some new friends. Logan, is a participant in said D&D group, a bit of a leader and a hunk to boot. He's charming, handsome and genuine, but there's a catch. There's a rule, agreed to by all members that they will not date other members.

Therefore, no matter how much chemistry Quinn and Logan are feeling, they cannot take the bait. Quinn really needs to be a part of this group. She left her old school under bad circumstances, and she's not willing to be friendless again. But maybe, baby, they could spend some time together secretly. That couldn't hurt? Could it?

I loved this just as much as Dungeons and Drama! I hope there are going to be more books in this series. There's just something about Boyce's character work that is just so sweet and compelling. I've loved every background of every character in these books.

The gaming element in this one, the D&D group involved, was so great and felt more in-depth than the gaming in the 1st-book. I loved that aspect. I'm not sure if that is true, or just my perception, but I appreciated it nonetheless. I also adored Quinn as a main character, and even Logan. I'll admit he had me swooning and blushing more than once. The chemistry between them was also so well done.

The secrecy and the way everything was resolved, Boyce did a great job developing all of that. There were moments when I wanted to shake them both (miscommunication, it's a thing), but I still felt like it was realistically=portrayed. I'm not sure what the plan is for this series, if there will be more or not, but if there is, you better believe that I'm 1000% on board for it. These books have both made me giddy with how good they are.

Thank you to the publisher, Delacorte Romance, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm looking forward to more from Kristy Boyce.

Thank you for letting me read this! I love a DND book that is actually well-written and brings romance in! This was so fun. It really made me want to start playing DND again.

Cute book! A little silly at times, but isn’t that just part of romance books in general? It was a fun read; I like books that feature characters playing DND! Though I do end up critiquing it if it’s not quite described right.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this e-ARC!

dating and dragons was my first 5 star read of the year and my favorite so far. it is such an adorable and fun ya read and gave me one of my new favorite book boyfriends (Logan weber). the book follows Quinn after moving to a new city with her family and ending up in Logan’s dnd group that has some rules Quinn wasn’t expecting.

At this point, I'm addicted to anything Boyce puts out! Dating and Dragons is no exception! Cute with a capital C.... this one is a nerdy girl's dream!

Thank you NetGalley for this review copy.
I liked this book, but not as much as the first one in this series! I love when "nerds" get their love story and have a positive friend group.

In Dating and Dragons, Quinn Norton is starting over at a new high school midway through her junior year. Desperate to make some friends, she joins a D&D group that takes their game very seriously—no phones and absolutely no dating other players. But when Quinn catches feelings for Logan Weber—one of the group’s most charming (and off-limits) members—she starts to realize the real obstacle to their relationship isn’t the no-dating rule. Nope. It’s the messy fallout from her old D&D group that might just ruin her shot at happiness all over again.

This is a decidedly fun premise, and while I did not like it as much as the premise for Dungeons and Drama, I will say that it got me more interested in trying out D&D. I loved all the explanations of gameplay, roles, and character types. I also love love LOVED the descriptions of the campaigns.

The side characters were well-developed and diverse, including all the members of her new D&D group, who feel like a found family for her. But it’s her grandma who stands out as my absolute favorite character.

Ultimately, this is 2 for 2 for Kristy Boyce and I think it’s safe to say I’ll read anything she writes.

Also, shout out to Liz Parkes (the cover illustrator) because her art continues to rock (and ABSOLUTELY one of the reasons I picked this book to read.

I really enjoyed seeing the characters progress in this story. The story was well paced and well written. I was hooked from the beginning and devoured it in just a few sittings.

Overall I think it is another really fun concept for a YA Romcom. I loved the main characters and how they interacted with not only the game but with each other.

This was such a cute YA Romance. I loved following two geeky mc while they navigate their attraction. I loved the D&D campaigns we got to see were fun and really helped show us the great friendship dynamic. I loved this friend group full of quirky geeks, who clearly care about each other and quickly adopted Quinn. The forbidden romance, although wasn't all that tense, was still interesting to watch they navigate, not so well around their attraction. Boyce does an amazing job writing close friendships and the friends to lovers trope. I also enjoyed the inclusion of her family - mainly her brother and grandma. Both interesting and well fleshed out. I loved her grandma, so sweet but so stubborn! I can't wait to go back to read Dungeons and Drama!

Thank you so much to Random House Children's, Delacorte Romance, and NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Dating and Dragons is such a sweet YA romance that had me giggling and swooning from start to finish. The forbidden romance trope was really well done here, which made the yearning and push and pull between Quinn and Logan even more fun to read. One thing I will say is that these teenagers felt very mature for 16-17 and that didn't feel as believable to me. That being said, I *loved* the cast of characters, the way the author tackled family and friendship dynamics, and how much FUN the book was. It honestly made me want to watch a Dungeons and Dragons live stream or get back into playing myself!

I would love to see the author tackle an adult romance because I do think some of her writing lends itself to that, but I'll continue reading any and all of her releases!

This book was adorable. I loved Kristy’s first book, so I was so excited to pick up another Dungeons and Dragons inspired book! I love a good no dating within a group trope, so I was excited to see Quinn and Logan try to keep their feelings to themselves. Overall a great sequel, and I can’t wait to read more from Kristy !