I'm going to preface this and say I've never played D&D so I'm probably the wrong demographic for this book. I had a hard time connecting with the characters or rooting for them. This book wasn't my cup of tea. Read if you like ya high school romance.

I really liked the first book, but this one felt off for me. I didn't enjoy the characters or the dialogues; I found them a bit shallow and childish. I know I'm not the target audience for this one, that's why I'm trying to be as objective as I can. It's still a light read, and I definitely would recommend it to younger readers.

Overall rating: 2.5/5 (rounded up)
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Pub Date Dec 31 2024

Thank you to the author, Random House Children's, Delacorte Romance and NetGalley for giving me the chance to read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion.

This book was great for my nerdy little heart. It's so great seeing young kids doing what they love and not worrying about what other people think of them.

I loved getting to see different parts of the campaign they were playing in (how does it end?!?! I need to know). And how the group embraced Quinn into their mix. Quinn's Grandma was hilarious throughout the story and her love matching antics were great. Trips to Logan's farm made me like his character even more. Overall I really enjoyed the story.

Not as good as the first in the series, but a generally enjoyable time. I honestly liked the growth Quinn had with her brother and with her new friend group more than the relationship between her and Logan. Some of the stuff Logan said felt like it belonged more in an adult romance.

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House Children’s, and Kristie Boyce for sending me an ARC of Dating and Dragons to review!

I absolutely adored the first book, so I knew I had to get my hands on this one and I was not disappointed. I seriously enjoyed this! It was so easy to get into and follow along with. I graduated from high school about four years ago and I really felt like I got transported back. It’s a very age-appropriate romance and one that I look forward to recommending. The romance was great, and I’m not typically someone who reads in the romance genre.

The friendship between Quinn and Kashvi was so great, and the friendships between the whole group. I’m so glad they were so accepting of her joining their friend group but also their DND game. I’ve been really into watching DND livestreams lately, so it was awesome to read about one happening. When Logan was first introduced I had such high hopes for him, and then when he started being cold toward Quinn I was ready to fight him on her behalf because it came out of nowhere. But then his reasoning was revealed and the pining ensued, which was almost torturous (in a good way) because of all the romantic tension and the fact that had to hide it.The grandma was such a hoot! I loved her! Easily my favorite character! She was so witty and independent with a wild side!

I do wish that this book was longer. I really wanted to see more of them actually playing DND (I understand that timeline-wise the book ended where it should have, but I’m a DM so I really wanted more). I also wanted a bit more conflict with Quinn’s old friends other than that one in person interaction and then the hate messages, but I also just really like conflict.

This was one of the cutest books I have ever read! I had so much fun reading Dating and Dragons that I finished it in one day. Kristy Boyce is so talented and this is definitely her genre! I look forward to hopefully more DnD related books!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

I’ll start by saying I know nothing about D&D or how it’s played. I’ve read many books about the game or based on the game and I still have a hard time understanding a lot of it. However, these books are SO fun to read. This author has the ability to make me feel invested as well as make me laugh out loud. Everyone is so lovable and quirky. Low stakes and high vibes. I feel relaxed but also my heart was racing when the drama started. I was addicted. I’m so happy there’s another D&D book by this author because I will read a million of them. It was so dramatic and cheesy and that is literally what I sign up for. Give me more forever.

4.5 stars
This was so cute! I loved it even more than the first book in the series, all of the characters were so fun to get to know and I loved the plot so much!

Will update with Instagram post when it's up!

With a “forbidden” romance, a granddaughter-grandmother relationship, nerdy references galore, and the sweetest baby cow, Dating and Dragons is another critical hit for Kristy Boyce.

While this book isn’t connected to Dungeons and Drama, it stands on its own with a new cast of characters and a friendship group that is next level. I love Quinn’s quirky style and interest in making D&D-themed jewelry. Logan is so charming, and the rest of the D&D group is so much fun. The author does a good job including diversity in a seamless way. This book hits all the checkboxes for a modern story.

I also appreciate how much of this book is centered around Quinn and her family. It’s so nice to see positive adult characters in a YA book and for a sibling relationship to feel realistic and still sweet.

Some of the relationship drama felt a little over-the-top and exaggerated at times, but since it’s YA, it’s easily forgivable and the adorakable tension wins in the end. I also love how much depth the author put into the characters’ D&D campaign. It was so fun to read about.

Highly recommend if you enjoyed Dungeons and Drama or Geekerella.

I absolutely loved this book! Kristy Boyce has created another D&D friend group to adore. Of course Quinn and Logan’s burgeoning romance was the sweetest, but the side characters really stood out. From the grandma wing-woman to the crocheting DM, I felt like everyone was memorable in this book. I loved that! Quinn and Logan’s progression from friends to romantic partners felt very natural. There were all the subtle looks and slow inching closer to each other that I love to see in romance books. The book was a delight to read, and I can’t wait to read more!

This book is FREAKING CUTE.

•Instant attraction
•Will they won't they?
•Friendships
•Dice jewelry
•Ice cream dates
•Pickleball
•D&D

Seriously such a cute YA. If you liked Dungeons and Drama, you'll love this one too!
Little bit of language. Kisses only.

Thank you to Netgalley for my complimentary e-arc. All opinions here are my own.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Kids for providing the eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I can safely say this is better than the first book. Super cute and geared to younger YA readers, this was short and sweet and heartwarming. I loved Quinn's personality and her friendships (and romantic relationship!) was adorable. This one really captured my heart as I have dealt with similar situations in my teens and it really healed my inner 16yr old to see everything work out regardless of the wild teen drama. Highly reccommend if you need a cozy n cute read for the wintertime.

Confession: I have never played Dungeons & Dragons 🐉. I may or may not have requested this ARC to understand my husband’s D&D obsession. He and I may or may not have talked about his character build for 2+ hours after I read the first few chapters and had a glimpse at the FUN that is this fandom… OK, that was more like three confessions.

Please allow me to share how Dating and Dragons won my heart
🏳️‍🌈 Diverse Character Representation without feeling forced
💞 Young Adult slow burn, mutual pining, hand holding, and sweet kisses
🎲 A Fantastic Intro to the fandom of Dungeons & Dragons
🧠 Mature Characters & Friendships (especially for 16yo) with nostalgic High School vibes

🥇 The standout character award goes to Quinn’s Grandma, Barbara Clarice Norton, who is equal parts meddlesome and sassy. May we all know her or better yet BE her when we grow up!

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children’s, Delacorte Romance, and Kristy Boyce for the advance reader copy of this book!

⭐ 5 Stars – This book is a true delight!

3.5⭐

This was a fun, lighthearted read. While slightly more cheesy than Kristy's previous book, Dungeons and Drama, this still managed to charm me with its quirky characters and cute premise.

I wasn't as thrilled or invested with the romance as I was with Dungeons and Drama. I didn't really buy into Quinn and Logan's chemistry. I thought the whole dilemma of the no-dating rule came off as too dramatic and could have easily been avoided with a group discussion amongst all the players.

But I understand that this is the type of thing to expect in a YA novel and other readers may find that enjoyable, so take my review with a grain of salt!

What really shines in this story is Quinn's grandma. She was by far my favorite and I so badly want to play pickleball with her!

Dating and Dragons is a perfect palate cleanser for readers looking for a quick and sweet entertaining story.

Thank you to NetGalley & Delacorte Romance for this ARC.

What to expect:
🐉 friends to lovers
🎲 D&D references
🐉 the best grandma wingman
🎲 forbidden romance
🐉 TTRPG live stream group

Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce follows Quinn Norton as she has recently moved to a new school in the middle of the year. After experiencing the loss of her entire friend group / D&D party, she’s hoping to start fresh. Here she meets Logan Weber who is off-limits because of a “no-dating other party members” rule in her new friend group. While she battles as a Hill Dwarf Sorcerer during her new groups D&D livestream, she is also battling her own feelings for Logan, not wanting to disrupt the dynamics of her new friend group, and processing the past.

One of the best characters in my opinion, was Quinn’s boisterous grandmother. Not only did she clock Logan in the first few pages of the book, but she continued to help get them together. I adored the relationships between Quinn and her grandmother, Quinn and Kashvi (the one who invites her to the join her D&D party), and then Quinn and the entire new group. I thought all the characters were individualized and unique which
made for the most exciting campaign scenes. Logan and Quinn were adorable, and I was giggling at their scenes together.

All in all, I read this exceptionally fast and enjoyed all of it. Dare I say I enjoyed this more than the first book....

I recommend this to anyone looking for a cute YA romance with riveting D&D content, and a dynamic friend group.

Thank you NetGalley for the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐈𝐅 𝐘𝐎𝐔
🎲 love to play D&D
♥️ enjoy cute YA romcoms
😂 like witty banter
🏫 have ever had to change schools

• 𝐖𝐇𝐀𝐓 𝐈𝐓’𝐒 𝐀𝐁𝐎𝐔𝐓

Quinn Norton is starting over at a new high school and hopes that joining a D&D game will be the trick to making friends. The plan sounds even better when she’s invited into a group that includes Logan Weber, the cute and charming guy she met on her first day of class. But this isn’t your average D&D campaign— this group livestreams their games and enforces strict rules: no phones allowed, and no dating other group members.

Quinn is willing to accept the rules, even if it makes Logan off-limits. And she quickly learns that doing so won’t be a problem, since Logan goes from charismatic to insufferable as soon as she agrees to join. As their bickering—and bantering—intensifies inside and outside the game, Quinn can’t help wondering: Is Logan’s infuriating behavior a smokescreen for hidden feelings? Quinn is risking it all, and the twenty-sided dice are rolling!

• 𝐌𝐘 𝐓𝐇𝐎𝐔𝐆𝐇𝐓𝐒

Kristy does it again! I absolutely loved Dungeons and Drama, so I knew I’d love her newest book, and it did not disappoint. We get to meet a new group of friends this time and a whole new situation, but I loved it. It has witty banter, lots of tension, and even more D&D! I’ve never played but my dad used to, and now I wish he’d invited me to play as well. It seems like a fun game. I loved the ending - it was cute and perfect. I can’t wait to read more of these in the future!

A Strong 3.5 Read

The adult in me is giving this book a strong 3.5 stars but the 16 year old in me would have given it 5.
I wish I had this book as a nerdy teenage girl.

Quinn is the new girl, having moved in the middle of the school year. With the help of her sassy grandmother she meets a group of lovable D&D fans and is invited to in their campaign. Everything's going great until some old Drama and some new Drama rear it's head, not the D&D she was looking for.
Follow Quinn as she navigates old friends, new friends, family, love interests and just being a teen.

Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this ARC

This was really cute. I liked seeing Quinn get herself a new group of friends who really care about her. Logan was adorable and all he wanted to do was was date Quinn but he had to hold off. Quinn's grandma was fun and I liked her brother and Kashvi.

I received an arc through netgalley.

OMG, this was absolutely adorable! I loved Dungeons and Drama, so I was beyond excited to see Kristy Boyce was writing another Dungeons and Dragons-inspired YA romance. Let me tell you—Dating and Dragons was even better than the first one!

One of my favorite things about this book was getting to experience so much of the group’s D&D campaign. The characters felt so real and relatable—they’re exactly the kind of people I would have loved to be friends with in high school. Quinn was utterly charming, with her unique personality and style shining through. I also loved how much she cared about her new friends—it was heartwarming to see her navigate friendships and find her place in the group.

And Logan? Swoon-worthy! He’s the dream boyfriend for any nerdy girl—a perfect mix of sweet and endearing with just the right amount of charm. Grandma Barbara was a standout character, too—cheeky, hilarious, and incredibly relatable as she faced the struggles of aging. Her storyline hit me on a deeper level, especially as it reminded me of similar experiences within my own family.

Kristy Boyce has a way of writing that feels like a warm hug for D&D fans and romance lovers alike. I hope she continues to write more of these delightful stories—they make my little nerd heart so happy! Highly recommend this one for fans of gaming, romance, and heartfelt YA!

I loved this book so much. It was truly so much fun to read, and I honestly didn't expect the ending. Not necessarily a plot twist, but it was still fun. It took a minute to get into and was a little rocky at the start, but once you get into it, it's literally perfect. If you've been reading depressing/sad books lately, this is the perfect palette cleanser. The love interest is green flags on green flags, and the author depicts girlhood perfectly. I didn't think the book could get any better, but then I found out that there's a BABY COW IN IT. I might've audibly gasped. I went back and forth on my rating, between 4 1/2 and 5 stars, but in the end, I loved it so much that I had to give it 5 stars.
100% would recommend.