Thank you to Random House Children's and NetGalley for the eARC!

3.75 stars. This book was very cute and wholesome, but I'll admit I struggled to get into it for the first 20-30%. Once the main character and the love interest started actually communicating a bit more, I found myself flying through the book. As someone who also dealt with friendship break-ups in my youth, it was refreshing to see that plot point in the book and to see how greatly that affected the MC's newfound relationships, both platonic and romantic. I also thought Quinn was a wholly likable and believable teen, and her relationship with her grandma was such an endearing part of the story. I loved the rest of the teens in the DnD group and wish we would have gotten to see Quinn grow closer to them as well. All in all, it was a quick, cute, read that I thoroughly enjoyed!

Somehow I loved this even more than Dungeons and Drama?! I l also loved that this story contained more details around their characters and campaign--as a DnD fan, it added so much to the story in addition to the overall plot of the book!

Even as an adult, I also really resonated with some of Quinn's friendship struggles during my high school years. Kristy Boyce writes books that I wish I'd had growing up. I can't wait to see what's next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Delacorte Romance for allowing me to read an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

5 Stars!! This clean Rom-Com was the perfect book to start out my year. There is more actual Dungeons & Dragons play in this title than in the authors last D&D themed rom-com and that helped me to understand the game a bit better. The slow romance between Quin and Logan is timed perfectly. I absolutely loved the character of Quinn's Grandma. Her antics steal the show multiple times throughout the book.
I know my students are going to love this one as much as I did.

Content Warning: NONE!! This is a clean romance with only a few kisses.

I can not say enough good things about this book! I loved Kristy Boyce's other book - Dungeons and Drama - and was thrilled to have the opportunity to read her next book.
First I want to talk about the characters. The characters in this book were so fun and so easy to fall in love with. It is a romance book and the romance was great, but the friendship depicted between the group in this book was one of the best things about the book. The author did such a good job of creating characters that felt real. They had their flaws, but that's what made them so compelling.
And of course the romance was wonderful! The two characters really fit together and the chemistry between them was obvious from their very first meeting. Any conflict or turmoil they experience felt real and didn't seem like a cop-out by the author to just add more drama to the story.
And the Dungeons and Dragons references were wonderful! Boyce does a phenomenal job with the D&D scenes and makes it feel like a real campaign. I always enjoy the sections where they are actually playing.
Overall I thought this book was wonderful and I couldn't help but smile the whole time I read it. I would highly highly recommend this romance, especially for fellow nerds like me!

I am so incredibly grateful for the opportunity to have received an advanced copy of Dating and Dragons from the author and NetGalley!

Dating and Dragons is honestly one of the cutest stories I have read! 💕🐉🎮 I read the whole story in one sitting and I loved it. It transported me back to my high school days and my feelings and emotions I experienced back in the day and I think it truly is so magical for a book to have the power to bring you back in time. I love Dungeons and Dragons so much and I think it’s incredible that this book uses it as such a huge focal point to the story. It truly was so much fun to read and I enjoyed Quinn and Logan’s banter with each other so much! 🤭 It was truly so much fun to watch them both grow so much as characters throughout the story and the life lessons scattered throughout are truly so important. If you love YA books, Dungeons and Dragons, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, and a sweet and quick read that will make you smile so hard while reading then this is the book for you! 🫶

Thank you NetGalley for a free e-copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review.


I loved Dating and Dragons. Kristy Boyce has created characters that feel real and natural, the side characters are just as amazing as the main. The slow burn and chemistry between the two leads was phenomenal! I highly recommend this to anyone who loves a little nerd romance and stories about friendship.

Another amazing read by Kristy Boyce! I loved this one just as much as Dungeons and Drama (which is saying a lot) and truly hope we get more similar books because they remind me all f the good things about YA with the added bonus of Dungeons and Dragons. Quinn and Logan are absolutely adorable throughout the story and Quinn's grandmother is such a highlight of the book. I didn't think anything would top the dice buying scene from Dungeons and Drama, but a fluffy baby cow may take the prize! I highly recommend both this and Dungeons and Drama, because even though they aren't a series, they are both such fun reads with good vibes and happy endings.

A solid YA romance!

I loved that it's such a quick, cute, digestible read. It's the perfect amount of sweet and swoony. While I do appreciate that it is age-appropriate (surprisingly not common in the young adult world...), the characters still seemed a bit too mature for high schoolers. Not in a bad way, just that it didn't feel *quite* believable or realistic, however it made for some really good, romantic quotes. I didn't really care for Sloane but "they" had a Fullmetal Alchemist shirt on at some point, and I appreciated the reference. Overall what I appreciate about this one, as well as Dungeons and Drama, is that the main characters are fleshed out but the side characters also get some really nice page time!

Dating and Dragons is the perfect YA romance, a lighthearted, easy read that's sure to satisfy!

I knew going into this that I was going to love it and I truly did. The first book was one of my favorite books of 2024 and this one is gonna be one of my favorites of 2025.

I haven’t been reading much YA recently but whenever I was reading this series, it didn’t feel very YA which is why I think I love it so much. There’s a bunch of swoon worthy moments in this book from our teddy bear MMC and I adored them. I’m all about the DND aspect of the story as well. It makes the reading experience a lot more intriguing. I also love the fact that this book didn’t follow just the romance itself. There was a lot about family and friendships in it as well which I loved.

If you’re looking for a super fun and sweet romcom then I highly recommend picking this one up! I’m very excited to see what Kristy has in store next.

Thank you so much to Delacorte Press for the arc!

Review Outcome: Roll 1d6.

J1NX leaves a raving review about Dating & Dragons. Just kidding! I didn’t need to roll to know that this book deserved a fabulous review.

TTRPG: Check
Cosplay: Check
Romance: Check (It’s even forbidden in the group!)

My little nerd heart ate this book up and especially loved the little slices of RP narration sprinkled in! I now have to go back and read the first one.

Thank you Netgalley, Kristy Boyce, & Random House for the advanced reader copy, which did not affect my review on this book.

I loved the previous book so I was very excited for this one and it definitely did not disappoint, I felt invested and immersed by this book.

✨4.5 ✨ | This was my first YA read of the year and also my first book by Kristy Boyce. As an older reader, this book felt like a time machine—it transported me back to those teenage years of navigating toxic friendships, rediscovering myself, and building new, meaningful connections along the way. The romance between Quinn and Logan is slow-paced, but you get to see their walls slowly come down as they grow to truly care for each other. It’s sweet and absolutely adorable. However, my favorite part of the story was the blossoming friendship between Quinn and Kashvi. Kashvi reminded Quinn what true friendship looks like—friends who support and genuinely care for each other.

Thank you, NetGalley and Random House Children for the ARC!

Kristy Boyce does it again. I devoured Dungeons & Drama, and after being accepted for this ARC I had high hopes. And they were met with Dating and Dragons. Imagine being at the center of drama that got you exiled, from your last D&D group, only to find out your crush is part of a new D&D group willing to take a chance on you. Oh, and don’t worry, this group has a strict no dating rule. Should be easy to keep that line, right? Right? Loved the feeling this story gave. The family dynamic with the side characters was great. Every character mentioned was important to the story and the main character overcoming the devastation of losing her last friends was absolutely moving. Five stars. Cannot wait to read more.

Dating & Dragons was such a fun book and I really enjoyed this YA romance with its Dungeons & Dragons inclusions!

Quinn is a character that I really connected with (much more than the FMC in Dungeons & Drama). I moved around a lot growing up, especially at in-opportune times with my social circles in school time. The struggles that Quinn faces with her transition to a whole new school and town especially after the issues she had at her previous school as well, I think this was all really well done. High school can be such a tumultuous time for kids and I think the reader is able to see her struggles through the differences she has with her brother who is the more "popular" highschooler even as a new student.

As someone that's not super familiar with playing D&D, has only really watched some games played, I think Kristy does a fantastic job at describing the game in an easy way for newbies but also not too easy for someone that is familiar with the game and world it comes with. There's some cute references to some more niche things and I think people will enjoy them no matter what their experience is with D&D!

This story plot-wise isn't anything too crazy but I really think that's exactly what I wanted and needed from this. I struggled a bit more with Dungeons & Drama's FMC due to the way her relationship and parents/adults were portrayed but I think the more "adult" things happening as sub-plot here were done much better, Still always some family drama because no one is perfect, but I think this was at least much more realistic to me!

I never got into D&D but I loved this book! It was a delightful YA that weaves together the worlds of high school drama and D&D. The writing was witty and engaging, and the characters were relatable and their banter was hilarious. The romance was slow burn, but it worked well with the growth of Quinn and Logan. You even get a peek into the world of D&D, which I found interesting. And Quinn’s grandma was my favorite! It was such a fun and entertaining read.

I loved the first book in this series and this one was just as great! I love dungeons and dragons so this was right up my ally. I hope Boyce continues with this series because at this point I will read everything she writes.

This was a fast paced read that I needed!! It’s a lighthearted ya nerdy time. Perfect for the D&D girlies! I basically will read anything Kristy Boyce puts out.

Thanks for the arc NetGalley

This book is like rolling a natural 20 for fun and feels. Quinn’s awkward yet hilarious attempts to balance D&D, crushes, and grandma’s matchmaking had me cheering and cringing at the same time. If you've ever accidentally fallen for someone you weren’t supposed to, this book will feel like a chaotic but lovable game night.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨✨
4.5 stars!

This was an absolutely adorable YA romance—exactly what you'd expect from the genre, but executed wonderfully.

As a fan of Dungeons & Dragons, this book was right up my alley. I loved how the gameplay scenes brought the story to life and often had me laughing out loud. (Seriously, those moments were a highlight!)

Though it’s the second book in a series, Dating & Dragons can easily be read as a standalone. That said, I’m now eager to pick up Dungeons & Drama because I enjoyed this one so much!

The book perfectly captures the teenage experience—especially the anxieties of moving to a new town and finding your place within a new group of friends. It felt so real and relatable.

One standout was the protagonist’s grandma, who acted as a delightful, quirky wingwoman for her granddaughter. Her character brought so much warmth and humor to the story.

If you enjoy forbidden romance and a sweet slow-burn dynamic, this book has both in spades. It exudes that innocent, nostalgic young love vibe that makes YA romance so charming.

I also appreciated the non-binary representation and how seamlessly it was woven into the story. On top of that, the family dynamics were heartwarming, especially the growing relationship between Quinn and her brother, Andrew.

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, Delacorte Romance, and Kristy Boyce for the opportunity to read Dating and Dragons in exchange for an honest review.

Dating and Dragons is similar to Boyce's other novel, Dungeons and Drama ( a solid 5/5 by the way). While this novel explores new characters and a new conflict, it still revolves around the core draws for readers: romance and playing Dungeons & Dragons! If you haven't yet, please take a moment to admire the cute cleverness of all the neat details on the cover.

After a nasty conflict with her former friend group, Quinn is more than happy to move to her grandma's town. Not only does she get to see her cooky grandmother more often now, but she can have a fresh start at a new school. Of course, said cooky grandma wants a picture of Quinn at school. She deviously asks a handsome young man to take the photo for them. Of course, he is from a group of obvious D&D players, if one of the members D20 earrings are any indication.

Logan and Quinn hit it off pretty quickly, indulging in each others company. Quinn also befriends Kashvi, the girl wearing said D20 earrings. Quinn gets invites to see their D&D campaign on the weekend. She misses playing, despite the falling-out with her former game group, so this opportunity for both friendship and D&D excites Quinn. When she is invited to join their very serious live-stream group, she accepts, despite Logan turning traitor and not wanting her to join. One of the rules is no dating among group members. Their live stream is a serious endeavor, and they don't want any problems.

As Quinn and Logan already started falling before she accepted joining the group, it sure makes for a challenging prospect when they can barely keep their eyes off of each other!

Dating and Dragons is a fun easy-to-ready cozy romance that teens and lovers of D&D will wholeheartedly enjoy. My only qualm was with Quinn's former friend group. What we get with them feels a bit flat and the outcome of not discussing what happened seemed a bit off, but at the same time does show a lot about the former-friend characters.

I really love the characterization in this novel and it's fun to see a group of teenagers who endeavor to be like some of the major live streaming D&D groups in our world today. I absolutely love Boyce's writing style. She has such a craft with dialogue, characterization, and plot, as well as offering just the perfect amount of suspense without the novel being a stressful read. Her books are fun and amazing, perfect as one of those in-between-700-page-plus reads.

Dating and Dragons (and Dungeons and Drama) is a MUST-read novel!