3.5 stars rounded up.

This was a fun read but I felt like at times it was trying to do too much all at once. I liked the main friend group and the pairing between Paige and Logan was cute, but I don't know if the plot needed to have the 'no dating in the DnD group' rule when Paige already had a good reason to be wary of dating Logan due to all the drama from her old friend group and how they turned on her after dating one of the members.

Also, I never thought I’d say this but the DnD portions of the book felt like too much. I understand that DnD is central to the plot, but reading about them playing the game was kind of boring and I didn’t really care what their game characters were doing since nothing that happened in the game seemed to have any impact on the plot that was happening outside of playing DnD.

Overall it was still a cute story that I enjoyed reading, but I didn’t quite enjoy it as much as the other one in this series.

SO cute! I wasn't sure what I was expecting going into this book, but I knew the other similar romance was popular that Boyce wrote a while ago. I've always been intrigued by dungeons and dragons and to see it play out in this adorable YA romance was perfect. I loved Quinn and Logan. I could read more and more!

5 STARS

Dungeons and Dragons, forbidden romance, banter, tension, found family

Written by Kristy Boyce, Dating and Dragons follows Quinn as she transfers to a new school in the middle of her junior year. With a passion for Dungeons and Dragons (D&D), she joins a new group to make friends. Unlike the last group she was in, the campaign is livestreamed and has strict rules. One of the main rules being no dating other members in the group. This proves to be difficult for Quinn when she finds out the handsome boy she started crushing on her first day at her new school is in the group. Although he makes it easy to follow this rule by bickering with her and giving her the cold shoulder, she can't help but wonder if it's all a ruse? Is there a reason he went from friendly to difficult so fast?

I am obsessed with this book; I finished it in two sittings in under 24 hours. I loved the plot, the speed at which the story developed, and the writing style. I was giggling my feet and feeling like a lovesick teenager all over again. I loved the dynamic between Quinn and Logan. Their personalities compliment each other so well. Every one of the characters were loveable, side characters included. One of my favorite characters was Quinn's grandma, and I only hope to be like her when I become one! She was very entertaining. I haven't read any romance books that are based on Dungeons and Dragons before (aside from Dungeons and Drama, of course). It was an immersive experience! I loved how we got to see more of how the game works; it felt like I was on their campaign with them! Adding streaming into this story was a very cool aspect as well. Streaming is a huge part of gaming now-a-days, and I wasn't aware D&D was streamed! Dungeons and Drama inspired me to seek out D&D and now this book will encourage me to watch others stream! For a YA romance, the characters' actions did not enrage me or make me cringe. I loved every second of it. If you enjoy YA romances, I HIGHLY recommend reading this book. It is perfect for a light read or to get you out of a slump.

This is an HONEST review, and all opinions in this review are MY OWN. Thank you so much, NetGalley and Kristy Boyce, for the opportunity to love these characters ahead of the release! I look forward to following Kristy's future works. I don't really read romances, but she's created a big fan out of me!

“Dating and Dragons” is a cute romance that balances the portrayal of the romantic relationship while also exploring the main character’s friendships. Quinn was a really good main character, and the entire main friend group were enjoyable. I really like how the author wrote character dynamics, and how well the characters were developed. I’ve not played much D&D, but this book has made me want to get into it. I like the unique aspects that the inclusion of the game provide, and I think the author did a great job of incorporating the game into this book.

i didn't expect the book to be ever cuter than the cover. quinn and logan were sooooo freaking adorable!!!! kristy boyce, you did it.

thankyou netgalley for the arc. all opinions are my own!

#DatingAndDragons #Netgalley

Ahh this was sooooo good! I devoured “Dungeons and Drama” when it came out, so I was excited to jump on this new one!

Quinn and Logan are the cutest couple. The banter was fantastic and the slow burn was great. I am officially going to read every book Kristy Boyce writes from now on.

If you loved Dungeons and Drama, you will love this. It captured the same heart and feeling as the first book. I was absolutely obsessed with the characters. Especially Quinn's grandma. The tension and chemistry between the main characters was so good. I was kicking my feet and giggling the majority of the book, which I read basically in one sitting because I just couldn't put it down.

Also, after now reading two of these books, they make me really want to try D&D.

Dating and Dragons is a cute YA romance novel that I would have devoured when I was younger! Kristy does an amazing job naturally having inclusive characters without it seeming like they were only put there for that reason. The book is the perfect length for someone to sit down and read over a weekend if they have the time. I would recommend it to someone looking for an age-appropriate romance that includes struggles that I think anyone going through high school or moving to a new environment and building friendships can relate to. While I was able to sit down and enjoy it in one sitting, I wouldn't recommend this as a YA novel that can closely translate over to adult romance, it is clearly catered to younger readers and is perfect for that realm.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC of Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce.

The author has done it again!! I don't know what it is about Dungeons & Drama and now Dating & Dragons, but I absolutely ate this new book up. The chokehold the author's writing has on me!! I love everything about how the author wrote this YA romance and found it so refreshing, moving, and adorable.

Quinn and Logan have the banter, the pining, and the friendship that all lead to a fantastic romance novel. I love that the characters were all fleshed out and sub-plots were intriguing/wrapped up.

I really hope this is just the second in a long lineup of novels just like this by the author, because it was excellent.

I absolutely LOVED this! Dungeons and Drama was an easy 5 star read for me earlier this year and when I saw there was another book coming? I hit that request button on NetGalley as soon as I could.

I moved my last year of high school so Quinn was an incredibly easy character for me to relate to. It's so hard starting over at a new school and I think Boyce did a great job showing Quinns struggles. I thought the D&D campaign and other side plots were also done wonderfully and it really just wrapped everything up into a perfect little YA romance.

I know my nerdy little high school self would have absolutely loved this book as much as this nerdy adult does. Finding the right group of friends that will support you is everything and I loved watching that play out on page for Quinn.

Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!

This was a very good read! I enjoyed reading about the characters and the plot was very interesting. I loved the story and would definitely recommend to a friend!

cute, a bit overly packed with plotlines but definitely a fun romance book and the dnd plotline is quite cool. would recommend it

I think this was a cute story and had potential to be soo good.

I feel like the overall plot was a little messy? I found myself kind of bored and not invested. While there were some really cute moments, I feel like it lacked tension or chemistry between the two characters.

For the length of this book, I think there were too many side plots with the old friends, the grandma, and the D&D campaign, and there wasn’t time to build depth with all those things happening.

Don’t get me wrong, this was a quick, cute read. The last few chapters were so sweet. I just think that compared to the first one (which I loved), this fell a little flat for me.

This book made me want to go back to high school and organize a D&D campaign with my nerd friends.

This was SO cute and nerdy & I absolutely loved it. So wholesome and pure.

This was such a light and cute read! It sometimes felt a bit more juvenile than high school, but I enjoyed Logan and Quinn's chemistry. The ending felt rushed, especially when certain issues were revealed that had Quinn juggling between her feelings for Logan and prioritizing the D&D friend group.

Thank you Delacorte Press for the eARC!

I read dungeons and drama when it first came out and loved it but I might love this even more. Quinn and Logan were great together. And I love the idea of live streaming their sessions. It was really neat. I absolutely love a little nerdy romcom. I can’t wait to read the next book Kristy writes. Thank you so much for this opportunity I am truly honored.

3.5 rounded down.

I really wanted to love this one like I utterly adored the first one, and I just didn't, unfortunately. This one should've been the easiest home run. I dig a sequel that’s still an original concept. No best friend gets her love story, no continuation of the first story, no forced break up to force a sequel (iykyk), just a second original idea from the author in a similar vein. I love when an author finds a niche and gets comfy. (Ali Hazelwood also does this.)

I like a book that isn’t living and dying by the trope necessarily. This one is a little confused as to the pairing. Strangers to friends to enemies to friends… it’s mostly friends to lovers. Which is not my favorite trope because the reason for keeping them apart is usually too flimsy for me. This one made more sense—no dating in the D&D group to make sure things don’t get messy, but I’m torn because this wasn’t really brought up by the group enough for me to make it an issues (it comes up around 70% when Quinn and Logan decide to test the waters of the group and they’re just like, lol thank god we don’t have to worry about that! with minimal backing on it. And the thing is, Quinn is new. This wouldn’t be a longtime besties to lovers thing. So they’d have that to stand on. Y’all barely know each other, how do you know this will work out fine?) but potentially if it had been brought up more, I would’ve rolled my eyes at the mild absurdity of it happening a grand total of once before. From Quinn’s side, I wish her ex-friends had been more ruthless. Like, really bullying her rather than just icing her out of their group. Something more to make me really believe she thinks she can’t go through that again. Even Kashvi turning out to have a crush on Logan was weak (but how it was ultimately handled was chef's kiss). And it should’ve been big and perfect since that’s how Quinn lost her first group, but it comes out of nowhere and feels like “DRAMA! We need more DRAMA!”

Quinn and Logan keep actively fighting their feelings from the beginning which comes off as the annoying aspect of FTL to me. They’re not secretly dating. They’re not just blatantly flirting with each other. (Though Logan tries; Quinn won’t reciprocate, she goes to far as to say “no” when he asks her “do you want things to change?”, so then I was left wondering why he likes her enough to possibly break up the band.) They’re just soap opera-like characters who can’t be with the one they want and it dominates their thoughts in a mildly obsessive and whiny way. (Quote: “Logan . . . you shouldn’t say things like that.” I shake my head. “What happened to the group rules? And you saying you shouldn’t be around me? I can’t figure out what’s going on with us.” “I can’t either.” I look up to the sky and blow out a frustrated breath. “Then that’s even worse.” “Believe me, I know what I want. But I also know I’m not allowed to have it.” The heat of his expression jolts me. “This will only lead to trouble,” I whisper. His eyes darken and he steps closer. “Sometimes trouble can be good. I’ll take whatever trouble you want to give me.”) It also makes the story drag because They Just Like Each Other rather than falling for each other. And unfortunately, this one didn’t have super great banter or flirting. It was just a one-off line that’s supposed to make your knees weak. I did like how Logan kept casually asking Quinn to see him, but then I didn't like how Quinn told him no and he kept making comments like (Quote: “Your cheeks are pink from the cold. It makes you look even prettier than usual.” “Logan.” “I know, I know.” He steps back and tugs his beanie down. “I promised myself I wouldn’t say anything today. But then I see you and I can’t stop myself.” “I know the feeling.” “Do you? I keep wondering if it’s just me.”) And (Quote: He takes a step back and restlessly messes with his hair again. “I don’t know how to do this with you.” I hate how agitated he is in my presence, but I love it at the same time. … I’m not sure how many more times I can sit across that D&D table from you and hold myself back from kissing you.” His words are edged with such anxiety that I want to smooth them.) I don't dig an MMC who can't listen to the word no. "I can't stop myself" well boy, you better learn quick. It's supposed to be really swoony and romantic, but it just gives me pause, especially when Quinn was actually saying "no." She wasn't giving Logan real indication that it was "no, stop, keep going." And then Logan thinking it's hard, like, yes, because of you and your apparent inability to control yourself. That's why it's hard.

I loved the entire cast of characters. They were quirky, unique high schoolers, and they were awesome. Even if you have no clue about D&D (like me), you can sit down, immerse yourself in the story, and feel like you could've known some of these kids IRL.

Kristy Boyce's writing is really the highlight of the book. She writes YA Romance so dang well. Despite realizing early on this was going to be a slow burn FTL with some personal irritants, I kept reading because Kristy Boyce's voice is so captivating and engaging. The story dragged for me a little around 45% to the point that I probably would've DNFd if it had been any other author. But Kristy Boyce has a way of writing that even if the story slows, it's not "I'm making myself read this" boring.

Would I recommend this book? Yes, but hesitantly because I'd recommend Dungeons and Drama first and without hesitation. STILL though, I will be keeping an eye out for the next Kristy Boyce book and will be devouring it without hesitation, including not even reading the blurb of it before requesting, like I did with this one.

This was super cute! I kept seeing it in stores and I was really drawn in by the title. The love story and evolution of the relationship is really cute

Super cute and cozy YA Romance, your gonna want to add this one to your TBR!

I really enjoyed reading "Dungeons and Drama" last year from this author so I had high expectations for "Dating and Dragons" and the author definitely did not disappoint! I picked this book up and didn't set it back down until I had read it cover to cover.

The storyline was really fun and I appreciate how the author incorporates strong friendships, real life issues and a very age appropriate romance for the genre.

I'll definitely be recommending this one as well as purchasing a copy for my home library.

Thank you Kristy Boyce, Net Galley and Random House Children's - Delacorte Press for providing me with an ARC of this book!

Dating and Dragons was fantastic. It was just as cute and dorky and wonderful as I hoped it would be. Quinn and Logan were such a fun forbidden romance. The D&D group was great, I loved their setup as live streamers and their dynamic as a friend group as well. Great book, 10/10. Kristy please write adorable wonderful nerdy romances forever thank you.