New school, new friends, and possibly a new D&D group if she can find one... the only problem is that the one she finds has one rule: you can't date anyone from the group... and she just happens to have a huge crush on one of the members. Quinn is starting a new high school and is excited to try and join a new D&D game and make new friends. When she meets a cute guy named Logan on her first day things couldn't be better, until she finds out that said cute guy is part of the new D&D group she is invited to join in and he seems determined to keep her out of it. Quinn's new D&D group isn't like a regular one, they live stream all their campaigns and they have only one rule" no dating other group members. Logan and Quinn begin to clash at the group... yet outside of it he seems to be perfectly charmed by her... and she can't seem to figure out his hot and cold attitude. Yet the more time they spend together the more she's beginning to realize why he didn't want her to join the group and just how hard it will be to try and not break the group rules when the guy you're falling for just happens to be the only one completely off limits. This was such a charming and cute YA Romance, I absolutely adored it!! The romance was so cute and the story was just a fun one to read. I've been a huge fan of Kristy Boyce's D&D and Romance series and this one was just perfection. It's absolutely such a sweet read and one I'd highly recommend!! It's a must read!

Release Date: December 31,2024

Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)

*Thanks Netgalley and Random House Children's | Delacorte Romance for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*

I've been enjoying YA romances a lot more because they've been shifting to a more nuanced look at coming-of-age. I used to dislike them immensely because they were super immature and the stakes were so low.

This book fit somewhere in between. Mostly, the romance itself felt too quick. It had very strong love-at-first-sight vibes, and they were both so committed and passionate about each other without even really knowing each other. The actual conflict stopping them was weak as well. There was no real reason for them to not be together.

I just didn't find myself very invested in the novel. I didn't like Quinn. She wasn't a relatable character, and she honestly didn't have much going for her. Without the strength in the characters, this book kind of fell apart without much of a plot holding it together.

Of course, there were some cute moments, and overall, the romance was fine. It wasn't a terrible book, but also not one that I will be recommending to everyone.

And I'm out.

Quinn just moved to a city where her grandmother lives. At school, she met a group of people who plays Dungeons and Dragons. One of those people is Logan. Logan is a boy Quinn was attracted to when she first met him. He was very nice to her until she joined their D&D group. The new D&D group has a couple of specific rules. Don’t miss a session and no dating within the group. Quinn didn’t mind since her old friends from her old school abandoned her after she turned down a guy from her old D&D group. However, Logan and Quinn seem to keep getting forced to spend more time with each other and their attraction just keeps getting stronger and stronger…

This made me want to play Dungeons and Dragons and I’ve never played nor had the desire before. This is very cutesy. All of the characters are very relatable and I had so much fun reading it. Once I got into it, I couldn’t stop reading!

"Dating and Dragons" was another adorable book written by Kristy Boyce! As always, I loved the D&D gameplay. It really makes me want to either tune into a stream or play it myself. Quinn & Logan were super cute. I also loved both of their relationships with Quinn's grandmother. I'm really liking this series and look forward to reading the next installment.

Thank you NetGalley for this arc!

I absolutely LOVEDDDD this book. It’s solidly YA (not the kind that calls it self YA but is really NA) but I just thought it was adorable. I’ve never played D&D myself, but Boyce makes me wish I did. The campaign scenes were so fun that I felt like I was part of the game.

Dating and Dragons by Kristy is a delightful blend of romance and fantasy that’s as enchanting as it is adventurous. With swoon-worthy characters, magical world-building, and witty banter, this story strikes the perfect balance between heart-pounding action and heart-fluttering romance. A must-read for fans of love stories with a fiery twist!

Read if you like: geeky romance, can't be together, will-they-won't-they torture, YA romance, cute sweet romance

If you've read Dungeons and Drama, then you will love Dating and Dragons. If you haven't read either, please go fix that! Though 'Dating' has a similar dynamic as 'Drama', they are absolutely stand-alone novels and you don't have to read one to have read the other.

If you've been looking for a geeky, nerdy, cute romance that will give you the warm fuzzies, this is absolutely perfect. The spice is minimal, the suspense is high, the characters are what I wish I had in a YA romance book as a teen, and I finished wishing Kristy Boyce, all her characters, and I could hang out and play board games and D&D together while eating pizza and talking books.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! I fell in love with Dungeons and Drama and knew I needed to get my hands on this new one from Kristy.

Aghhhhh love this, so cute - does not disappoint after her first book. I’m a huge nerd and live for nerdy books like this and enjoyed the comedic sarcastic parts of this book, namely Grandma Barbara. But Logan and Quinn you could sense really had some chemistry, and I honestly loved the rest of the ensemble D&D group (and Andrew). I wish I had this type and amount of friends at any point in my life (i’m nearly 30 now and these kids are so cool in my eyes).

Was it unnecessarily dramatic? Yes. Was it teenage shit? Yes. But was it so cute? Also yes.

I enjoyed watching Logan and Quinn teeter on the edge of self restraint in their infatuation, but truthfully could not tell you of 16 year olds that would be like them 🤣 the buildup and slow burn of it all is written wonderfully, even at the very end during the argument in the basement before Kashvi clears it up.

The crafty thing was a really cute side quest (har har) that was not explored as much as I thought it would be, and I wish was brought back at the end. Or even another con. They served their plot point but I would’ve liked to see it featured again to make it come more full circle.

Will read anything else from Kristy Boyce now…a woman of my own heart. 💚💙

As a DnD player myself, I was excited to read this book. Quinn is a DnD fan who just moved to a new town to be closer to her grandmother. Usually, this type of move is something a highschooler would dread, but considering the falling out she had with her previous DnD group, she's more than welcoming to the change. She quickly finds a new group of friends with a shared passion for DnD and a potential love interest in the group, but this is where things get complicated: there's a no-dating rule among campaign players.
I found Quinn to be likable and very realistic teenager. While I didn't care much for Logan, I thought their chemistry was cute, and I really enjoyed all of the supporting characters as well. For a YA romance, this was sweet and did a great job of introducing Dungeons and Dragons to people who might not be that familiar with it, as well as making it entertaining for existing fans.
My biggest con with the book is the ending of it, which felt very rushed. All of the problems only kind of came to a conclusion in the last 30 or so pages of the book, after spending a majority of the book building them up, it felt a little bit lacking.

This book had me at “D&D group with strict no-dating rules.” Nothing screams “inevitable romantic chaos” like forcing teenagers to sit around a table, roll dice, and NOT flirt with each other. Spoiler: It doesn’t work.

Quinn is relatable in her quest to fit in, her awkward crush, and her willingness to embrace a no-dating rule that she immediately regrets. Joining a live streamed D&D campaign as the new kid? Bold. Doing it while trying not to swoon over the guy who alternates between flirty and infuriating? Braver than any paladin I’ve ever played.

Logan, for his part, is equal parts charming and obnoxious, the human embodiment of rolling a natural 20 on charisma and a natural 1 on tact. Their banter was top-tier, though I occasionally wanted Quinn to cast a silence spell and just make her feelings known before the whole campaign collapsed into a pile of unresolved tension.

The gaming scenes were an absolute highlight. As someone who knows just enough about D&D to pretend I don’t need a cheat sheet, I appreciated how the book balanced geeky details with broader appeal. You don’t have to be a dungeon master to enjoy this story, but if you’ve ever rolled a die, you’ll appreciate the in-game drama that parallels the real-world shenanigans.

By the end, Quinn and Logan had me rooting for them to beat the odds (and the rules), and the epilogue left me grinning with all the heartwarming feels. If you’re a fan of geeky romance, snarky dialogue, and characters you’d gladly share snacks with, give this one a roll. Just be ready to yell at a fictional no-dating policy more than once.

4.5/5 ⭐️s
🫑 - kissing only

LOVES:
- The grandma 😂 she’s hilarious and honestly, kind of a great wing woman
- This one has a lot more snippets of actual game play than Dungeons and Drama did which is fun!
- The drama from her past is a major bummer, but her new friends handle it so well. They’re all really great.
- I especially really love the whole friendship and side story with Kashvi ♥️
- The development of Logan and Quinn’s relationship was interesting. There was a period of time when I was really frustrated with Logan, but it quickly made sense and I particularly liked when Quinn called Logan out and didn’t back down 😏
- The chaos and hilarity of the climax are top notch 😆🤩

CRITIQUES:
- Oh, teenage love hahaha it felt a little too soon for me to say the L word, but it’s sweet 🤷‍♀️

Another adorable story from Kristy. I am just loving her writing. And as a D&D player it is so fun to read about teenagers having a good time and being successful with the game!

Thanks to @netgalley for the eARC 💝

Such a cute fast paced YA read. Loved the dungeons and dragons theme! Author did a great job with pacing, story building, and character development. Felt a little overly “young” in a few places (ie characters dialogue or decisions), but overall a great YA book. Really appreciated the non-binary representation as well. I would definitely seek out more novels by Kristy Boyce!

I just finished Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce, and it was a fun, lighthearted read. The mix of romance and fantasy made for an entertaining story, and I enjoyed the quirky, game-inspired world the characters navigate. Some parts felt a bit predictable, but the charm of the characters and the humor kept me hooked. It’s not the deepest story, but if you’re in the mood for something playful and feel-good, this book is worth a try!

Big thank you to @netgalley and the publisher for the digital arc of this book!

This was such a cute little book! It was a perfect pallet cleanser coming off a fantasy novel. It was such a light hearted and quick read I managed to read it over a very busy Thanksgiving holiday too!

If you are into D&D and enjoy YA, I definitely recommend this one! This book follows Quinn who starts at a new school and finds herself a new diverse friend group and well as love - all thanks to a shared passion for D&D! As someone who has never played D&D, I found these scenes to be very detailed yet written in a way that was easy to follow and they were pretty entertaining!

Quinn and Logan are super cute together and I found myself rooting for them throughout the story🩷 All the characters are very witty and funny and since they’re all in high school, the romance is very pure and appropriate which I enjoyed.

Dating and Dragons
By Kristy Boyce

Dating and Dragons is a fun YA rom-com that starts off with a Junior in high school named Quinn. Quinn has just moved to a new home to be closer to her hilarious Grandmother. With a new home that means a new school and trying to find a new friend group. The very first morning, Quinn’s Grandmother forces a cute guy named Logan to take their picture to memorialize the day.
Logan is hanging out with a group of other students that seem to be a group that Quinn could see as becoming friends with, a Dungeons and Dragons group. But after what happened to Quinn's old friend group, she is hesitant to join. One of the girls from the group, Kashvi, starts to talk to Quinn and invites her to one of their sessions. When Quinn arrives she finds out that the cute boy that took the picture for her Grandmother is also a part of the group. But the group has rules that include no dating. Now Quinn must shove aside her feelings for Lucas and focus on being friends, and trying to survive the campaign together.
Dating and Dragons had such funny characters. I thoroughly enjoyed the Grandmother and all of the situations she gets Quinn and Logan into. The book focuses on the strength of good friendships, and that there is healing in being open to others.
I gave Dating and Dragons a 4 out of 5 stars. I devoured this book. I would recommend this book to YA and Adults, especially those who love D&D.

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read Dating and Dragons!

Once again Kristy has written an adorable nerdy romance that I absolutely love. I fell in love with Dungeons and Drama when I read it, and was absolutely thrilled to be accepted for the arc on NetGalley. These books are so addicting to me, and I read this one in two sittings (only because my plane ride ended and I had to stop).

Like the last book, this one is written in a way that makes it easy for readers unfamiliar with D&D to easily keep up with terminology while not overly explaining things. I loved the story, and the inclusion of conflicts and situations D&D players like myself have had to deal with. I also liked the time spent on showing how hard it can be for women to comfortably attend things like comiccons.

This book was just so cute and fun to read. It’s obviously YA, but that’s what I love about it. It’s teenagers being teenagers written for that audience. I can still enjoy that.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the arc!

Thank you so much net galley !!
One of my favorite arc sequel to dungeons and drama!
It’s such a cute mix of high school rom com and the geeky love of dungeons and dragons. Quinn and Logan are too cute together

I don't read a lot of YA anymore (as I'm approaching 40, it feels a little weird--the characters are basically my kid's age) but I will ALWAYS read Kristy Boyce's books. Always. Dating and Dragons, like Dungeons and Drama, made my nerdy little heart ridiculously happy.

Quinn is the new kid at school. She had a falling out with kids she had called her friend at her old school (her friends were TERRIBLE), and her parents decided it was the perfect time to move closer to her grandma. On the first day, she meets Logan and his friends, and they quickly absorb her into their group--which also happens to be super into Dungeons and Dragons--so much so that they livestream their games. Oh, and they have two hard and fast rules-- no phones or other distractions on game day, and no dating other party members. Which is all well and good--except Quinn can't stop thinking about Logan. The feeling, she finds out, is mutual.

I loved the characters so much. Quinn's grandma was a hoot and a half. Her brother was very much a teen boy, but he was protective when it counted. Each member of their D&D party had so much personality, and the campaigns were so creative. As someone who has played D&D (albeit a long time ago), and whose kids are into D&D now, I absolutely loved this book--start to finish. My son (who is a DM) saw me grinning while cooking dinner (I was listening to the audiobook), and he asked me what I was reading. His eyebrow went up, and he rolled his eyes, but he *might* have also looked a teensy bit interested.

If, like me, you love all things nerdy, this book is for you. It's so freaking fun. The cute, illustrated cover captures the spirit of the book perfectly. 10/10. No notes. Dating and Dragons was delicious, nerdy perfection.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children's/Delacorte Romance for the advanced digital copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts & feelings below are my own

Rating: 4.5 stars, rounded up

Dating and Dragons starts with our girl Quinn doing the thing every kid dreads - starting at a new school in February. Except... she doesn't really mind all that much. After a falling out with her D&D group, a.k.a. her only friends, Quinn is ready to be anywhere but at her old school. Now her biggest concern is just how badly her grandma, Barbara, might embarrass her (side note: why are grandma's in fiction always so much cooler/funnier than real life? I love my grandma, but she would not be caught dead playing pickleball or trying to meddle in my love life). Luckily, Quinn quickly makes new friends but her new D&D group has a "no dating" rule that might keep her from achieving full happiness.

I loved Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce, it honestly just put a huge smile on my face. I already had 'Dungeons and Drama' on my TBR, but getting to read this ARC definitely bumped that one up my list. Reading Dating and Dragons also made me desperately want to play D&D. I loved all of the characters and wish I could befriend all of them IRL. Each of the characters was so perfectly unique. I also really liked the fact that the bullies/antagonists weren't your typical YA book/movie stereotype of the prep or jock at school, and instead were also considered "nerds". The only thing that kept this from being a full 5 stars for me was that sometimes these teens seemed a little too adult/mature. For example: my guy Logan said a couple of things that would have been swoon-worthy in an adult/steamy romance, but they just seemed a little cringey coming from a 16 year old. Other than that, Dating and Dragons was an easy, feel-good, teen romance novel.

You need to read this book if you like any of the following:
-D&D
-YA romance
-slow burn (like omg will you PLEASE just kiss already, everyone knows you want to!!!)
-friends to romance
-supportive friend groups

Thank you to Delacorte Romance for the eARC and PRH Audio for the free audiobook.

I don’t play Dungeons and Dragons…but deep down, I am a bit of a nerd. And I loved Dungeons and Drama so I was so excited to see the author planned another story in this universe.

Datings and Dragons was such a cute and enjoyable read (and listen!). The secondhand cringe was so real at times, it really transported me to the feelings I had as a teenager. I remember being so embarrassed by my dad just existing in public. Oh, young me, if you only knew…

I loved the progression of the relationship between Quinn and Logan and how they really became friends before trying anything else. It was clear they were drawn to each other, and I loved how they inadvertently couldn’t stay away. Was some of the teenage angst totally manufactured and be solved with communication? Of course, but they are teenagers, that’s not their forte.

The D&D information is pretty heavy, but it doesn’t feel overwhelming. As someone who mildly knows what’s going on, the game information was more of a fun addition to the story.

At this point, I really just want more from this author, and I’ll definitely be watching for more from the narrator, Abigail Reno. Her inflections were ✨chef’s kiss✨.

Last point: I think I want to be Quinn’s grandma when I grow up.