No spoiler arc review:

I have to say nerd romance is my fave. As a lifelong nerd who loves all things comics, fantasy, and make believe this book made me so happy. I haven’t played DnD but I want to!! Idk how people are able to get adults together consistently every week but this book made me want to play even more. My heart broke for the FMC because I’ve also had bad experiences with work and know it drains you and makes you question your worth. But I loved that she had a soft place to land with her friends, even if it was tough for her to accept help. This book had so much heart and swoon worthy moments. If you enjoyed This Will Be Fun, you will love this book. Highly recommend!

Thank you to netgalley for the arc! This book was adorable and I really loved the way we were involved in the actual D&D campaign and not just the main story. It was fun watching it all come together and I really appreciate that. D&D books are far and few between so this is a gem! Very powerful storytelling between two completely different worlds, and making the DND world come to life. Definitely recommend for a cute pallet cleanser quick read 🩵

This book was such a cozy romance. It’s the first book I’ve ever read that incorporated the D&D game. The story follows Sadie as she makes new life decisions while also learning and playing her first D&D game. I really enjoyed how the story split into two stories, Sadie’s life and the D&D game. I hope for another D&D story with all the characters.

Absolutely LOVED this book. I've read a few DnD romances before but they were more YA, this is definitely more adult! This book was also very timely for me. A bunch of my friends just recently decided we want to learn how to play DnD and our partners were more than ecstatic to teach us! I love how through out the book, we get to see the story of their game. However, sometimes I did skim through it because I was more invested in the actual story. I also wish our sessions were that clearcut on the story. For beginners, it was very flushed out. That could also be because of Liam, the stellar DM. Overall, I really liked this book.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for an advance readers copy in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoyed this so much! I loved all the characters and their relationships with each other in real life and in the game. This is definitely a group of friends I would love to have in real life. What caught my attention, though, was the D&D game itself. I loved how descriptive this author was with the characters and the world. I actually loved reading about the D&D world, and I looked forward to the Sunday games like I was the one playing!
The only thing I couldn't get into really, was their private game chats. It just was a bit 'cringy' for me, but other than I really loved this book.

As a 20-something, this is the D&D contemporary romance book I've been asking for; it's romantic, it's nerdy, and it's written so well.

Roll for Romance had so many cute scenes with Sadie and Noah, their teasing and banter had me giggling and kicking my feet. Noah is such a golden retriever boy and is so noticeably head over heels for Sadie from the start, watching their relationship grow so romantic.

In this book you also get to read along with the D&D campaign as if it was its own story, and it felt much more engaging that way. I found myself as surprised as the players when there was a cliffhanger, and getting to see Loren and Jaylie interact in the one on one role plays that Noah and Sadie write with each other deepens their character growth.

There were just the right amount of nerdy references too, my favorite being the Princess Bride "mawiage" speach.

After the acknowledgments there are a few extra things I suggest reading as well, especially the letter to the reader that Lenora Woods writes where she explains how much of her own experiences she's put in this book, it makes it so much more amazing. (there's also an "Alchemist's New Specials" menu and Liam's questions for creating a character's backstory, which I will absolutely be using)

Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with the eARC so that I can give an honest review.

Please buy this book when it comes out July 15th

P.S. I need a second book about Liam and Marcus
P.P.S. Kain is my favorite character

An absolutely nerdy joy to read! Lenora Woods makes you swoon in Roll for romance!

I absolutely love geeky lore in books so this was right up my alley and I devoured it. I don't know too much about DND but after reading this book I felt the Fomo and I love how we get a little glimpse and info on the world. I love how theyre both gamers that fall in love. It was absolutely so cute that will have you squealing and grinning while reading. Sadie and Noah will have you rooting for them from start to end as they find themselves wrapped in fiction and reality and how to solve their dilemma and how they fall. It was an absolute joy to read!

⭐️ 5
💋 3
🌶️ 1

Roll for Romance rolled with advantage and got a nat 20!

I don’t read a ton of contemporary romance but Roll for Romance seemed right up my alley with it’s D&D theme so I decided to give it a shot and I am SO glad I did.

Our FMC, Sadie, finds herself in a small Texas town after losing her job in NYC and is convinced by her best friend, Liam, to join a D&D campaign he is starting with a few people he knows including Noah, a local bartender. As Noah and Sadie begin to form romantic connections in and out of the game, they have to decide where life will take them next!

There is so much about this book that I loved. The struggles the characters were facing felt so relatable and I love the arcs Sadie and Noah had, together and apart. I also love how it captured the feeling of playing D&D. The excitement of the starting a campaign or to begin the next session, the twists and turns of the story, or the way your DM will leave you on a cliffhanger until the next session! I laughed, I cried and by the last page I was so sad that this adventure had come to a close. I just want to spend more time with all of these characters. I absolutely loved this book and have already been telling people to add it to their TBR. I don’t know if we’ll get more tales with this crew but I am hoping we do!!

Thanks to Dell for the ARC of this book! I think this one has potential but I could never get into the story. I kept thinking it would pick up an get interesting but it never did for me. The main characters are sweet but unfortunately this one was not for me.

If you want a simple, uncomplicated, no-third-act-breakup romance, then this is for you. The main characters are fun and cute and uncomplicated. The book is fine.

If you're the type of person who finds the details important, you're going to have a tough time with this one. As a details person, I had a tough time getting through this book.

I unfortunately am DNFing this book- I really loved the premise and the concept, especially as an epic nerd who found love through gaming, but I am unable to get into the format of this book. The fun of the D&D session is not that it's epic fantasy and to dive into the 'storytelling' aspect of the game, but moreso the gameplay and watching the actual people interact while playing another character. Unfortunately, this book does not allow this to happen as the story completely immerses into the session as if we're watching it on TV, rather than having the story told to us. I wanted to hear the FMC's thoughts while playing the character. I want her to interact with the MC while they play through the scene.

I simply couldn't get into this book because the complete change in atmosphere and writing pulled me so far out of the story I just couldn't continue struggling through it anymore.

Thank you Dell for the early digital copy through NetGalley. Opinions are my own!

Sadie has recently lost her job in the corporate world due to burnout, and finds herself saying yes to spending the summer with her best friend, Liam, in Texas. Liam is a dungeon master and finally convinced her to join his d&d campaign, and that’s how she meets Noah, our free spirit, adventurous mmc.

Throughout the summer, Sadie finds herself rediscovering her identity and passion as an artist, but as the end of summer approaches, she finds herself having to make a very tough decision—stay in TX and fully embrace her new life, or go back to NYC after getting the dream job offer.

This book was unlike anything I had ever read before! I’ve always been curious about D&D but figured it wouldn’t be something I would actually be interested in, so I never really paid much attention, but reading about it was so fun, I found myself scrolling through tiktok watching videos and wanting to learn more about it.

The writing was easy and fun, I was hooked from the very beginning! Sadie is a relatable character, and I feel like her journey came together organically and beautifully. I really enjoyed the found family aspect of it. And while I really enjoyed Noah’s character as well, I feel like we really didn’t get to know him much, and their romance felt a little rushed. But other than that, this was a sweet read!

Book comes out July 15th, you won’t want to miss it!

I loved it. I don’t know much about role playing games but this made me want to play. It also made me want to read anything else by this author just as soon as possible.

[4.25/5...review to be posted on 4/21] ROLL FOR ROMANCE is another Dungeons & Dragons-inspired romance and I'm here for it. After losing her prestigious marketing job in New York City, Sadie decides to spend her unemployed summer with her best friend, Liam, in small-town Texas. Listless and depressed, she agrees to try something different. What starts as a casual D&D session with Liam and a small group of friends transforms into inspiration and flirtation. As the end of summer draws near, Sadie has to decide whether to return to NYC or start a new life in Texas.

This is an excellent read for anyone curious about D&D who also loves light-hearted contemporary romance. The author artfully incorporates actual roleplaying sessions into the text of the book. Instead of reading about the characters rolling dice, Woods sends the reader directly into the roleplaying story instead. I really enjoyed going back and forth from "real life" and "fantasy life." It allows the characters' fantasy selves to explore other facets of their personalities. But it also provides a mechanism in which Sadie and Noah, a bartender with lumberjack looks, can explore their attraction to each other. Thus, there is more of a fantasy element in ROLL FOR ROMANCE than in some other D&D contemporary romances I've read.

The characterization of Sadie, Liam, and Noah is great. Everyone is supportive and logical and there is no miscommunication, a trope I dislike. Sadie's joblessness moves through various phases of grief, burnout recovery, and self discovery about what she wants to do next. Liam gives Sadie the space she needs after losing her job, but also subtly makes sure she doesn't rot all day on the couch. Noah, an adventuring soul, is positive and sunny, but not in a toxic positivity kind of way. He listens and clearly cares about connecting with others.

The interactions of Sadie and Noah outside of the sheets were my favorite. However, I felt that the physical chemistry lacked some oomph. I felt there weren't enough scenes depicting the physical attraction and pining leading up to their actual physical connection. Their day-to-day connection, though, was so healthy and "wholesome"--I loved it.

So, readers who love both fantasy and contemporary romance should definitely pick up ROLL FOR ROMANCE. It's a nice change of pace from romantasy and incredibly easy to get into and enjoy.

ARC review
Publication date: 15 Jul 25

"Roll for Romance" by Lenora Woods is a contemporary romance with a fantasy twist.

Thank you Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine for the advance reader copy via Netgalley.
Opinions from this review are completely my own.

Main tropes:
- friends to lovers
- slow burn
- found family
- small town

Sadie moves from NYC to a small town is Texas, after she loses her job. She was going through burnout and her friend's invitation to join his Dungeons & Dragons campaign comes at the right time.
That's how she meets the handsome Noah and they get closer while playing D&D.
The book has an unique and interesting plot as it is a fantasy inside a romance.
I enjoyed both stories and it was so nice to follow the love story between Sadie and Noah, as well as between their characters in D&D.
They also become part of a friend group and Sadie manages to reconnect with the world around her after the burnout.
Even if I do not know much about the game, I enjoyed the story and the magic of it.

You will like this is you enjoy fantasy books or small town sweet (and a bit spicy) romances.

This book is written for all the nerds! Sadie is feeling burnout from her job and being and adult so she decides to leave the big city of New York for the summer and go to a small town in Texas to live with her friend. It was a fun adventure seeing Sadie discover herself and meet friends. I enjoyed the character development as Sadie found her passion in life again.

Read if you like:
🎲 Dungeons & Dragons
🎲 Lovable Side Characters
🎲 Rediscovering Your Passion
🎲 Small Town
🎲 Slow Burn

Thank you to the publishers and NetGally for this Advanced Release copy. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Sadie, our FMC is down on her luck, recently separate from her job, burnt out, and feels lost. She flees to a small town in Texas as her best friends offers her to stay for the summer. The one condition was to try out a DnD campaign with his new friends in the town. This is where enters our MMC, Noah. A little flirting ensues during the campaign but is it requited irl? Follow Sadies journey of finding herself and also a new family in a new town.

Lenora pat yourself on the back girl this book was so cute and lighthearted! It was so needed as a escape and sad I read it so quick. I have never played DnD before but I recently started watching Critical Role on YT and saw this book and wanted to continue diving into the realm. I loved that their campaign was in it to see it in the way that they vision it. I loved that there was not any miscommunication that impacted relationships, and that she got to make decisions with out ultimatums. The only thing I wasnt a big fan at how insta lovey the couple felt but sometimes thats what happens irl so i didnt dock for that.

Overall this is a cute light read and will be perfect for the summer :)

Tropes: Small town romance, found family, Gold Retriever MMC, Communication and NO 3AB, and Slow burn

Genre: Contemporary romance

Book Pub Date: July 15, 2025

Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine | Dell for this arc in exchange for an honest review!

Read this as an ARC from Netgalley.

3 stars/ spice level 🌶️

Sadie is in Texas for the summer after losing her job in NYC. Her friend Liam has talked her into playing a campaign finally with some local people he’s met, one happens to be a rugged wanderer, Noah. Sadie immediately likes Noah, he’s sweet, friendly, and a perfect distraction from her problems waiting back home. As their campaign progress and their characters develop feelings in D&D, Sadie and Noah start to fall for each other and the more time they spend together the harder the leaving becomes for both of them.

I thought this was such a unique storyline. I loved how the MCs were falling for each other and how their D&D characters were too. It was a cute read. I did feel
like Sadie and Noah’s story was overshadowed by Jaylie and Loren but still enjoyed both aspects. Honestly, I would have enjoyed just be D&D part of the story, if the author wrote just a romantasy sign me up!

Enjoyment: 5
Start: 3
Characters: 5
Setting: 4.5
Plot: 4
Ending: 5
Style: 5
Rating: 4.5

Absolutely wonderful! This was my first D&D book read and it was executed perfectly! I never expected the campaign to be part of the story and I was looking forward to seeing how the campaign went just as much as I was wanting to see how the story ended. Start was a touch slow, but it kicked everything off and made me want to read more and more the longer I read.

Ahhh, could this book be any more fun? I think not! In a world of sports romances, I’m so thankful this book exists. We need more gamers and “nerd” books. With enjoyable main characters, as well as supporting characters, this one delivers! It kept me laughing, feeling all the feels and basically smiling throughout. This was my first book by this author, but it definitely won’t be my last. I can’t wait to purchase the physical book upon release.