
Member Reviews

Thank you to NetGalley for an ARC!
I was so hyped for this book after reading the author's previous novel, Dungeons and Drama, which I adored.
Like Dungeons and Drama, this book is a YA romance revolving around DnD, but with an entirely different premise. Unlike its predecessor, the main character, Quinn, is no stranger to DnD, but she finds herself navigating unfamiliar waters with a new DnD group that livestreams their sessions. Our main guy, Logan, is part of this group, and when Quinn decides to join them, he starts acting weirdly hostile towards her, where he had been friendly and charismatic before.
From the synopsis, I was under the impression that Logan would be antagonistic towards Quinn for much of the story, but I was pleasantly surprised that their hostilities were resolved pretty quickly. Unlike the love interest in Dungeons and Drama, Logan is highkey the rizzler?? When he's being chill, Logan reveals himself to be pretty charming and flirtatious😏, and Quinn is super into it🫦. Despite their group's no dating rule, they just can't help falling for each other😳. The no dating rule is the biggest hurdle in their relationship, and, for teenagers, I think they handle it pretty well. Other than their initial beef, they are pretty mature about their approach to the relationship.
Another central conflict in the story is in regards to Quinn's previous friend group/ DnD group. Not to get into all that, bc spoilers, but I appreciate how supportive and welcoming Quinn's new friends are, unlike her ex-friends.
Overall, I loveee this swooney adorable DnD romance.
P. S. Quinn and Logan is such a good name pair like their names go soo well together.

Quick overview:
Quinn starts at a new high school and quickly meets a friendly, diverse group of kids playing D&D that invite her to join. Sure, there is a no dating rule, but Quinn isn't concerned with repeating her past anyway.
My views:
I honestly have nothing but great things to say about this book! I haven't read Dungeons & Drama so I was concerned I would be missing something but as far as I can tell, there was nothing I was missing out on.
As an adult reading YA, there is always the concern it will feel uncomfortable, but there was none of that here. If anything, it made me nostalgic for my friend groups in high school and happy to have such a great group of friends now as an adult.
The vibes of the whole story, particularly of the descriptions of their campaign, are absolutely immaculate. The characters are super lovable, especially Sloane! I was giggling and smiling the whole time! Bonus: it was a super quick read.
Thanks to Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was just as delightful and nerdy as Boyce’s first novel. A brilliant read and lots of fun, a perfect rec for anyone looking for an light and fun YA

I adored this cozy story of a girl making her way at a new school and dealing with real issues people of all ages encounter. I especially loved the storyline with her grandmother, who was a fully fleshed out character facing aging in a positive way. This could be enjoyed by D&D fans or someone who has never heard of the game! My only complaint is that it wrapped up a little too fast but there is a lot to enjoy about this book!

This was such a cute story! the characters were so funny and brought me back to high school days and clubs.

PLEASE THIS WAS SO CUTE 😭😭😭😭 Logan is just AHHHHHHH and Quinn is so much stronger than me. im just saying if a guy buys my grandma sherbet i would immediately fold. The main characters were lovable, i love the bickering between the friend group and oml her family is adorable. and as someone who's gone through toxic friendships but now has supportive and loving friends, i kinda cried???? I also like that there's more D&D in this book. i just LOVE LOVE LOVED it!!!
A must read for anyone who likes D&D, cute romance, and recovering from toxic relationships

4.25/ 5 stars. I actually really enjoyed this. It was cute and cozy, a little cringey at some parts, but still great. I learned a lot about DnD which is something I have been wanting to get into and I got a cute romance out of it. The Grandma character cracked me up! She made this book such a joy. Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!!

This was a such a feel good story! I honestly didn't even know much about D&D and still was able to enjoy this book, fandom is so fun. This story has all the best parts of young love including all the geeky-factors! I was giggling at times. The no-dating rule was kinda funny and charismatic and added to the forbidden love factor! Thank you so much for the arc!

Kristy Boyce does it again! She may be the queen of nerdy, slow burn romances that capture what it is to be a teen dealing with love and friendship. I would highly recommend this title for junior high and high school audiences.

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish! Quinn’s journey to start fresh at a new high school felt so relatable, and her decision to join a D&D game to make friends was a perfect touch. The twist, of course, was that she gets roped into a campaign with the charming yet completely infuriating Logan Weber. And let me tell you, their chemistry is perfect!—the banter, the tension, the way they just can’t stop bickering… it made for such a fun, laugh-out-loud read.
Quinn was such a great main character—her determination, her quick wit, and her vulnerability made her so easy to root for. And the entire friend group was a joy to read about. I loved the way the author developed the characters and made their dynamics feel so real. Even the side characters, like Quinn’s hilarious grandma, brought so much heart to the story. I adored her! I only hope to be that awesome when I’m a grandma one day.
The romance was absolutely adorable. The slow burn between Quinn and Logan kept me on the edge of my seat, giggling the whole way through. I finished this book in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down—it was such a fun, feel-good escape.
If you’re a fan of sweet, geeky, young adult romance, this book is definitely for you!
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Adorable! Absolute adorable! Gosh, where to even start. I loved that we got to follow along with the D&D campaign in addition to the sweet romance budding between Logan and Quinn.
After reading the book, the cover makes so much more sense and I love all the small details that were added. No idea how to pronounce some of the names but I really liked all of the characters and that I could remember each person because of how distinct they were.
I tried my darnedest to find a connection between the first book and this one. But alas, I couldn’t. It has been a min since I read Dungeons and Drama so I still don’t know if there is a connection but I did really like this book.
I would feel comfortable having my nieces, who are teenagers, read this and I enjoyed it as an adult. There was kissing which was occasionally intense but nothing more.

I am predominantly (with a lot of bias) a LGBT+ reader so when I find a cute straight romance I ship with my entire soul my heart is happy. I’d like to clarify that I have nothing against any couple unless they’re obnoxious together or not right for each other. Yes, it was cliche YA insta love but Kristy Boyce does that so well without it being aggravating. The friend group 😍 and Quinn’s family are amazing. I can’t wait for the next book. Thank you so much to the author and Net Galley for this arc!

Dating & Dragons Review
Review will be posted on my goodreads and instagram, with links attached to this review, around Dec 22nd, Due to the publisher’s requirements! If I am allowed to post any sooner please let me know!
When Quinn Norton moves towns to be closer to her grandmother and escape a friend group that burst into flames, the last thing she expects is to find any sort of kinship again. However, nerds have a secret sort of magnetism ability, and she quickly finds herself settling into a new D&D group!
Unfortunately for Quinn, the cute boy she met on her first day is in this group. Even worse, there’s strict rules against players dating each other, and he seems determined to ice her out. Can they beat the big bad of their campaign, their unspoken attraction, and Quinn’s matchmaking, meddling grandma without their friends knowing?
This was such a fun read! I’ve unfortunately never played D&D myself, but have always thought it sounded so much fun! It was interesting seeing the characters building their characters before the campaign, and the fact that they live stream their games like Critical Role and other groups was so cool! A super easy to get into story for those unfamiliar with the game mechanics.
Thank you to Netgalley and Delacorte Romance/Random House Children’s for my copy in exchange for my review!

This was a sweet and delightful young adult romance! I enjoyed following Quinn as she started a new school and made friends. I loved all the characters in this book, especially Quinn’s grandma. I found myself smiling a lot throughout this book and I definitely didn’t want to put it down. This was an amazing feel-good read that I highly recommend.
Read this if you like:
📖 Dungeons & Dragons
📖 Forbidden Romance
📖 Found Family
📖 Complex Characters
Thank you to Delacorte Press for the gifted arc, I loved it!

4.5!
I don’t read much YA anymore now that I'm 23, but I found this story to be extremely charming. Reading about this cast of characters took me right back to the mindset of my teenage self, and she would have devoured this book whole. I did take off a half star in my rating because there were a few moments where I thought the teenage angst was a smidge on the over-dramatic side, but not enough to tarnish my reading experience.
I thought Quinn and Logan were so adorable, and their romance had the perfect level of tension for a YA romcom. The entire cast of side characters were also hilarious; especially grandma Barbara. Additionally, every few chapters we would get to read the latest session of their DND campaign, and it was SO fun! I have never played the game personally, but now I’m thinking of finding a group of friends to try it out. I was on the edge of my seat and gasping at every turn with the characters waiting to see what would happen next.
Thank you to Random House and NetGalley for the ARC of this book! I am so excited to go read Kristy Boyce’s backlog, and I can’t wait to add this book to my shelves on December 31st.

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review
Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce is a first person-POV YA contemporary romance with a DnD twist. Quinn has just moved to a new high school so her family can be closer to her grandmother and to escape the alienation from Quinn’s old gaming group. On the first day, she meets Logan and his friends who run a Dungeons and Dragons campaign online. While there is an immediate spark between Logan and Quinn, the group has one rule: no dating.
As a player of DnD, this really got me excited the second I saw it was available. I haven't had the chance yet to read Kristy Boyce’s first DnD Romance, Dungeons and Drama, but will definitely be checking it out soon. While the focus is the romance and Quinn’s new friendships as well as her relationship with her family, we do get some narration dedicated to the campaign and how the group works within that setting. Quinn's family doesn't really get her hobbies but they try to understand her and she's never really discouraged from pursuing them.
Logan and Quinn are that dorky couple that does roleplaying games on Saturdays and also have a lot of banter and swoon- worthy lines. I loved the build-up, I loved how adamant Logan is about Quinn being allowed to have boundaries, and I loved a lot of his lines. Logan’s willingness to entertain Quinn's grandma and Quinn’s visit to his parents’ farm added a cozy element that made this feel more heartwarming than dramatic. They are, quite possibly, my favorite YA contemporary romance couple of 2024.
The other relationship I loved was Quinn and Kashvi, her new best friend and another member of the group along with her older brother. Kashvi and Quinn have an instant bond when Kashvi’s 20D dice get Quinn’s attention when they first meet and they have similar tastes when it comes to jewelry. Given what we later learn about Quinn's former friend group, it made me love Kashvi and Quinn even more and I am always here for supportive, loving female friendships in YA.
I would recommend this to fans of both Dungeons and Dragons and YA Romance, readers who love romances between couples with interests that have historically been seen as nerdy, and those looking for a YA Romance that puts value on female friendships

"Sometimes trouble can be good. I'll take whatever trouble you want to give me."
Delightfully nerdy and so much fun!
What I liked:
I adore this new friend group, especially how they embraced Quinn.
I have truly never had any inkling to play D&D until this series.
I'm ready to go on a quest.
Grandma was quite possibly my favorite character. I love her quips and all of her antics. She seems like a lot of fun.
What didn't work for me:
Nothing

In Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce, Quinn and her family have just moved to a new town mid-school year. Quinn had a major falling out with her old friend group and gets a fresh start with potential new friends when she’s invited to join a live streaming D&D group. Quinn is trying to develop friendships while also handling her growing crush on fellow player Logan. With the group’s “no dating rule” and Quinn’s fear of losing another group of friends she has to figure out how she wants to handle her feelings.
I loved the dungeon and dragon scenes in this book. As someone who has never played it, this book made me want to. Also, the friendships formed in this book were super cute and watching the various characters interact together was one of my favorite parts.
There was definitely chemistry between Logan and Quinn. However, the will they/won’t they and the pining felt like it went on a little too long.
Overall, it was a fun book. It’s very well written and easy to read. If you enjoy romance, finding your people, and character growth this is an excellent choice.
Thank you NetGalley, Random House Children’s, and Kristy Boyce for the ARC.

AHHHHHH THANK YOU SO MUCH TO NETGALLEY FOR THIS ARC!!!!!
This book was so stinking cuteeeee!
Quinn finds herself starting at a new school in the middle of the school year due to her family wanting to move closer to her aging grandmother. She quickly falls into a friend group that plays Dungeons and Dragons (D&D). The thing is at her old school she also had a D&D friend group that had a falling out and they blame Quinn for the drama in the group. That group still harbors animosity towards Quinn.
Quinn is quickly making friends in the group, but the group has rules. One of these rules is “not dating anyone in the group”, which wouldn’t be an issue except Logan is super cute and super nice and Quinn and him have this gravitational pull to each other.
Forbidden high school romance makes for a tension filled YA book that will leave you smiling and giggling the whole time while reading it! This book is perfect for high schoolers (or adults like myself lol)!
Thank you again so much again for the EARC!

I will start by saying that Dungeons and Drama was one of my favorite books on 2024, and it was something I picked up with no expectations. As I read it, I realized two things; first, Boyce understands the complexity and drama that exists within a D&D campaign, and second, she is a master of weaving that into an emotionally heightened teen romance. She expertly takes the already high-stakes emotions of being a teenager, and somehow raises the stakes by setting them at the table, and then creates heroes and heroines that are so warm and fuzzy that it's impossible not to root for them to roll a nat 20 and fall in love.
When I learned there'd be another book in this series, as I am hoping there will be another and another, I was totally bought in on the concept, and I couldn't wait to read another. I had incredibly high hopes that Dating and Dragons would be another success in showcasing teenage emotion alongside a campaign.
And somehow--this one exceeded every one of my expectations! Quinn and Logan's tension in and out of the game was phenomenal. I loved the slow unraveling of their feelings for each other, and I especially loved that her meddling grandma had such a hand in their development. The side characters were so special, and the attention that Boyce paid to ensuring that friendship remained at the heart of the plot was just a giant smiling bow on an already perfect gift of a story. I am positive that this book is going to receive all of the love and accolades that it deserves, and am keeping my fingers crossed for a third D&D YA romance from her!
PS: The smallest of easter eggs linking the two stories was PERFECT, but I would somehow love to see these two heroines meet in the future.