While I think this book is cute, cozy and adventurous, I don't see myself finishing it. The pacing is slow in the first 40% and I've unfortunately lost interest. However, I think that this book has potential to be a customer favorite as it's unique and comfy. I just don't think I was the right audience for this book. No fault of the author, just personal preference.

I love a good romance and this story was no different. I really enjoyed the characters and getting to experience them falling in love. Very well written!

First of all, the cover is gorgeous and D&D romance is top tier and I LOVE them. This one is amazing, the banter is hilarious and the chemistry between Noah and Sadie and I love a good slow burn. This was very cute and fun to read!

One of my most anticipated D&D read of the year and I wasn’t disappointed at all 🥰

I just loved the descriptions of their game sessions!!!! It felt like Isekai novels (when a character is send into a fantasy world).


Thank you again for a copy of this e-arc 🫶🏻💞

“If you do decide to pursue romance, you have my blessing.” He pats my hand. “Roll with advantage, Sadie.”

Sometimes you need to lose yourself to find yourself. This is particularly true of Sadie Brooks, who--after losing what she thought was her dream job in New York--agrees to move in with her best friend in small-town Texas. Subsequently, she joins him at his DND table. After developing a serious connection with not only her character, but another player, she must face a question: has she found herself, truly? Or is she more lost than ever?

tropes/ story components:
found family
new to town/ small town
DND
wholesome vibes
low stakes
tandem told stories

steam:
Some explicit steam, some not so explicit steam-- not a ton of either.

content warnings:
N/A

what i liked
This book was soft, cute, and slow. A totally sweet and cozy read that incorporates good friendships, fun fantasy components, and a lost-and-found vibe.
I also really like the way DND quips were made throughout non-gameplay parts of the books.


First of all, I try to rate ARC reads in a fair an impartial way. So while a lot of this book didn't land with me, I'm not taking off stars for it, because that's not necessarily an objective problem with the book.
that being said, what I didnt like:
I feel like this representation of DND gameplay took a lot of artistic liberty and was not accurately directly representative of what its like to play.
I've also never seen beginners take to the game this fast, especially the role-playing aspect, much less understand more complex tenets of the game this fast, so having all four players *get it* immediately feels unrealistic to me.
I also personally would be very upset if I had a DM handle PC death the way it is handled by Liam.
As for non DND parts of the book, I wish it had been a little less slice of life, a little higher stakes (although this very thing is what would make this book such a good comfort read).
This book alternates between the story of Sadie and Noah and the story of their DND campaign. There's nothing wrong with that, but for me personally it made it hard for me to get invested in either side of things.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

If you're looking for a romance that incorporates tabletop gaming (and Dungeons and Dragons in particular), this is the one. [book:Roll for Romance: A Novel|219848308] follows Sadie after she loses her dream marketing job in New York City to the refuge in central Texas that is her best friend Liam's house. While she spends the summer there trying to figure out what's next, Liam assembles a group of beginner DnD players for a quest, consisting of a fellow teacher, the bookstore manager, and love interest Noah, the bartender at the local brewery. Over the course of the story we get to know more about Sadie through her present-day crisis, but we also get to watch her evolve as she gets to know the town, her new friends, and channel her character in the quest. As sparks begin to fly between Sadie and Liam, she confronts her need for certainty and takes a critical look at her dreams (or what they were). Who is she without New York City and the career she worked so hard for? Through both the real life lens and that of the quest, we get to find out.

If you're a fan of DnD, Roll for Romance is impressive - rather than using the game as background filler, we spend a good amount of the story actually in the quest. Because the players are beginners, however, the fundamentals are there for those who don't know much (or anything!) about the game. There are a few times that I wondered if almost too much time was spent focused on the quest rather than the present, but still appreciated it. The writing and editing itself was good (the #1 thing I'll DNF for is poor writing and editing!). The story flowed well, everything resolved well, and Sadie herself grows in a way that I thought was organic and true to her character. Ultimately I really enjoyed this book and would definitely recommend it to others, whether or not you're into DnD, and it'll definitely go in my re-read list!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advance review of this book.

I absolutely loved this friends to lovers D&D themed romance. The chemistry between Sadie and Noah was off the charts while still feeling so natural. I loved how they instantly became friends and slowly fell in love while their D&D characters were also falling in love. This book was low angst with all the cute, feel good romance vibes that had me giggling and kicking my feet.
I also loved how we got the whole D&D campaign as its own storyline. It added something extra to the book and was just so fun. Their whole group of friends were so charming and I loved getting to know them even more through their characters.
This book was an absolute delight and Sadie and Noah’s relationship was so sweet and cozy and fun. Definitely check this one out if you’re looking for something fun and feel-good!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the ARC!!

Roll for Romance gives everyone a little bit of something, you have your nerdy DnD, your big buff love interest, your highs, your lows, and even a grumpy old cat.

This is definitely a light hearted read for anyone willing to take a chance and roll

Thank you to Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell, Lenora Woods, and NetGalley for this ARC!

This book made my nerd heart sing. I had never read a romcom quite like this one. It's sweet, endearing, and downright adorable. The story is told in dual timelines: real life and Dungeons and Dragons game sessions with the MMC and FMC speaking/acting as their in-game characters. It's sweet to see how the characters' relationship play out during game sessions and carry over into real life. The sweet and supportive cinnamon roll MMC was just *chef's kiss*. Finally, geeking out to the nerdy references of this book was the cherry on top.

Thank you Netgalley for the chance to read this! 4.5 / 5 stars.
As an avid DND player in highschool and college who had one or two romances leap from the table top to real life: this hit every single nostalgia bomb I needed. The in-game passages were beautifully written, believable, and relatively accurate to the game. No god-mod-ing, just overall great twisty, turny, DND actions! The fact that I found myself wanting to play this campaign shows how well done it truly was.
For the actual romance: I really enjoyed the development between Noah and Sadie. I loved that her best friend Liam realized right away how 'right' for each other they could be, how vastly different but completely complimentary they were to each other, and their banter was incredibly realistic. I thought the spicy scenes were fantastic (hooray for a not completely conventional first-time position).
This ended a little quickly for me and I would have enjoyed even more to develop between Noah and Sadie, but the lack of a third act breakup and just an adorable resolution really made me smile.
Critical hit, absolute gem, really no notes.

Thank you to Netgalley and Random House Publishing for the ARC!

I am a huge DnD fan, so naturally when I came across this I was super excited.

This was, overall, a cozy and delightful novel. The romance was sweet, I loved both Noah and Sadie. It was a slow burn, but you could feel the attraction radiate through the whole book. They had so much chemistry (I could have used more spice, personally).

This was well written and I really quite enjoyed the atmosphere that Lenora Woods created.

I did find the campaign within the book far too lengthy and I lost interest at times. I think someone who hasn't played or is even new to the game would be a little confused. Not a huge deal, but I felt it worth noting.

Ultimately though, I did enjoy this and would be happy to recommend it!

I really, really enjoyed this one!!! This SCREAMED found family to me, and I loved it. I loved how not only did we get to follow all of our main characters, but that we also got to follow their campaign! It made it so much fun getting into the different events that happened in game, and how it affected the various characters. If there is ONE thing that I wished this book had more of or that it had done different was getting to see more PINING. I loved getting to see the relationship between our two leads blossom, but I almost wish that it didn't feel as instant. I know they didn't get together until way later on, but it felt like it was almost an INSTANT attraction. For me, that doesn't always translate well as I'm trying to read it. Overall though, I LOVED this story, and can't wait to see what else this author puts out!!!

Big thanks to NetGalley and the publishing team for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book is absolutely charming! From the very first page, I was hooked, kicking my feet and swooning. It's a love letter to all things nerdy, and as a Texas D&D girl, it felt like it was written just for me. The FMC is so authentic and relatable. I'm over the moon that I had the chance to read an ARC of this book, thanks to Random House Publishing Group and NetGalley!

I went back and forth between three and four stars but ultimately settled on three. I think I'm leaning towards three because while this is not a bad book by any means, it also didn't particularly stand out in ways other four-star books have. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. Bouncing between the characters and their DnD campaign was so much fun, and it kept the story moving along nicely. I am never too harsh on romance books, since all I am really looking for is a good time, and this one ultimately worked for me. I did feel that some of the references felt dated and borderline cringey, but not in a way that was detrimental to the overall experience.

The characters were all very sweet, though I wish we got more time with characters besides Sadie and Noah. We got a few scenes with the others, but they felt more surface-level and less memorable. I think that is the trade-off for having dual storylines, so I understand why that was the case, but it left me wanting more. The romance was adorable, and I'm a sucker for kind, soft men in books, so I fully supported the relationship (which is not always the case for me). The pacing was a little slow at first, but it picked up as the story went along. It was a bit jarring going into the first DnD section of the book, as it was a lot more detailed imagery than the real-life sections, but I came to appreciate it once I knew the storyline in the game.

For fans of DnD and light-hearted romance novels, I would definitely recommend this for a quick read.

Unfortunately I don’t think this was the specific book for me. While I was very intrigued with this story and new author, I didn’t end up loving this as much as I’d hope. I am not a dual time line reader and this plot felt that way to me. Feeling as though I was switching back and forth from the game to real life. I don’t always feel the transitions flowed and ended up being confused on where we were and what was happening.

The romance in this was sweet and love the low burn. There’s really good character arcs but all over I think the romance fell a little flat for me in the real time vs how it developed in the game. Pacing was pretty good and the progression of the story was clear and concise. The author had strong writing and I am excited to see what they release next!

Roll for Romance was a delight! It is completely accessible for non dungeons and dragons players, though knowing the game made Woods’s work even more artful and impressive. A very enjoyable read!

I absolutely adored this!! Super super cute and the MMC was giving major Hozier vibes. If I had to change anything, I would cut down on the amount of roleplaying content and add some more spice--but I still loved it.

This book was like a breath of fresh air! I think sometimes romance books get caught up in creating high-tension drama to keep the story moving, but Roll for Romance didn't waste energy on unnecessary strife. The first few chapters started a little slow, but as the characters grew and developed, the story pulled you in more.

As a native Texan, the atmospheric setting felt like home to me. I loved the way the Texas heat and humidity was described. I especially loved the way the small town of Heller, TX was written. It had a very authentic feeling to it as someone who's lived in small town Texas, and the quirky little local places felt fun and fresh. I loved the decor and themes of Alchemist Brewing and Bluebonnet Books. Alchemist Brewing felt very true to modern, trendy, craft beer breweries.

I loved the way the DnD game was incorporated into the story. I think having the campaign written as its own story-within-the-story instead of having Sadie narrate their tabletop gameplay brought it to life in the way DnD is meant to be experienced by its players. I found myself just as invested in the story of Jaylie, Loren, Morgana, and Kain as I did with their players.

The romance between Noah and Sadie was adorable. It wasn't the intense, crazy, passionate, "I loved him the second I laid eyes on him" type of romance that is found in a lot of books. It was a realistic, sweet development that felt true to the way a real life relationship blooms. Their quiet chemistry was a nice change of pace from some other contemporary romance books.

As main characters, Sadie and Noah were great. Sadie was a bit of a gloomy, dark cloud towards the beginning of the book, but as she starts to rediscover who she is, she's much more enjoyable. Noah is a golden retriever from the start, and I loved every second of him on the page. Their gentle, adventurous spirits just meshed so well together.

Overall, this was a really great read! If we can have cozy fantasy and cozy mystery, why not cozy romance? That's exactly what this felt like. A cozy romance for nerds who like to forget about their problems by sitting around the table with their friends and their shiny math rocks.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods is a heartwarming, cozy romance that’ll have you searching for a dungeons & dragons group in your area! Roll for Romance follows Sadie, a creative and spunky girl taking some time off after trouble in her work life, and Noah, a rogueish and playful man new in town. They meet through a dungeons & dragons campaign ran by Sadie’s best friend, Liam. Their story develops through interactions before and after each gaming session, and also through their characters within the campaign. Alongside Sadie and Noah’s budding romance, Sadie develops real and meaningful friendships with other members of the D&D group.


My personal thoughts as I’m reading: Liam is an amazing best friend, and you can feel the love him and Sadie have for each other. He helps Sadie through a dredge in her life, sending her on small daily quests just so she doesn’t fall into a depressive hole. Sadie is such a likeable, REAL character. I can see myself in Sadie, as I have no doubt other readers will too. I absolutely love the immersive transition from Sadie to her D&D character, Jaylie. On that note, I absolutely love the way Woods writes the scenes within the campaign. When I first picked this up, I wasn’t sure exactly how the D&D scenes would be handled, but the captivating way in which Woods writes them transports you to the fantasy world Liam created. Woods masterfully weaves a captivating tale within their D&D world, artfully transitioning between that world and real life. A+ from me on the incorporation of the D&D scenes. The chemistry between Noah and Sadie starts in the car scene, for me personally. Their chemistry is also apparent within the second session of the game; you could cut the tension between their D&D characters with a KNIFE! Basically their chemistry just grows exponentially the further you get in the book. Morgan is a kindred spirit to me the way she’s watching their romance play out; It’s exactly what I would be doing if I was witnessing this chemistry-fest in person. All in all, I really enjoyed this read and am placing it on my tentative top 10 books of the year. There wasn’t a single part of this book I didn’t enjoy, and I greatly enjoyed Lenora Woods’ writing style. Her writing is humorous and real, romantic and raw. I genuinely just loved this book and all the characters within it.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys contemporary romance or romcom novels, especially if you’d like some nerdy D&D talk mixed in. Thank you so very much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group Ballantine for allowing me to read and share my thoughts about this e-arc of Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods. Roll for Romance is set to release on July 15th, 2025 (and I highly recommend you pick it up when it does!).

I feel like I hit a Nat-20, a critical roll with this adorable, charming debut from Lenora Woods!

My current hyperfixation is Baldur's Gate 3 and this was a perfect companion piece; the illustration of Noah on the cover is so Gale-coded after all.

The characters, all of them, were so likeable and quirky in their own ways. My heart was so full reading the romance develop both in the characters' lives and in their D&D game. The chapters mostly alternated between the two and it was like reading two stories in one. I really loved everything about this and it is so impressive of a debut. I look forward to more by this author and will be ordering a physical copy for sure.

I could only hope that my Tav has an ending with Gale that compares to Jaylie and Loren.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.