After being completely burnt out at her last job, Sadie takes a much needed break in Texas to visit her best friend. After a few weeks there, he convinces her to finally take a go at a Dungeons and Dragons campaign with complete strangers. There, she meets Noah who is much like his wandering bard in their campaign.

While I loved the idea that Sadie's DnD character followed her story arc, it was jarring reading two completely different stories at times. You have a real world romance and a fantasy quest thrown together.

I am upset that we didn't get more into Sadie and Liam's friendship since they are best friends and she is staying at his house. It would have been nice to include him a little bit more with her work or relationship.

Thank you to Random House Publishing and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

#RollForRomance #NetGalley

Roll for Romance follows Sadie, who, after being fired from her flashy marketing job in NYC, is having a bit of a quarter-life crisis. Floundering and directionless, she decides to spend the summer in Texas with her best friend Liam, where she winds up getting roped into joining his new D&D campaign.

Joining the game as Jaylie the Cleric, Sadie meets a group of fellow tabletop newbies - including teacher Jules (playing a teifling barbarian), bookseller Morgan (dwarf rogue), and brewer Noah (a very flirty elf bard). As the party sets off on their adventure, Sadie begins to take some inspiration from the game and embrace the idea that it might be time to make a little of her own luck for once.

A charming combination of found family and role-playing-flirtiness-turned-real-life-romance, this book was the perfect recipe for some very nerdy warm fuzzies! Sadie and Noah's romance was incredibly cute, and I appreciate that they actually communicated about their feelings and reservations about the future. It was a really refreshing break from the third-act fight that tends to plague romance novels. They had obstacles to overcome for sure, but they were never at odds with one another.

I also really enjoyed seeing the narrative of the campaign play out from the characters' perspectives. Switching back and forth between the real life plot and the game plot was a great way to see why Sadie fell so in love with D&D (and Noah) and how she was able to apply some of the lessons she learned to her own life.

I have been patiently waiting for an adult D&D romance ever since I read and loved the YA Dungeons & Drama, and I'm so happy that it's finally here! I genuinely hope this is the start of a new trend in romance because I absolutely eat these up.

This book has completely changed my mind about romance with D&D. Lenora has created this world that I personally would love to interact with and play a campaign with this group. I loved that this for love story of Noah and Sadie was carefully crafted. It was slow and steady. Thr author made me feel as though I was watching the players fall in love. I'm sincerely hoping for a second book in the series with some of the other characters that I grew attached to.

Cute sweet rom com of a girl trying to figure out where she fits in the world, a boy that is constantly in motion, and a D&D game that brings them friends and brings them together 😏

As a DND player myself, I truly loved how this felt like two stories in one! We had Sadie and Noah, and then Jaylie and Loren. This book was seriously so fun to read and honestly I loved watching the characters work through their problems and hang ups through the game and through being upfront with their wants and needs IRL. I can understand why some reviews said the DND portions felt a bit too in depth… but as a player myself that’s exactly what we love in a campaign! I felt like I was in my own campaign and was actively picturing my moves and spells if I had been playing as Jaylie.
I truly and honestly had so much fun reading this book, I cannot recommend it enough. And now I can’t wait to encourage everyone I know to read it once it releases.
Thank you very much for the opportunity to read this as an ARC reader and providing a free copy! I can’t wait for release day when I can buy a physical copy for my shelves!

This is a cute read! The characters are really fun and the romance is sweet. I felt like the DnD scenes were a little too in depth for me at times, but I think this would be a really fun book for someone who is into the game!

Unfortunately this was a DNF for me, I had a hard time getting into the story and caring for the characters and the shift between the characters and their DND roles was a bit jarring and made it harder for me to get through. This wasn’t entirely for me but I do think others, especially bigger DND fans would be a great match!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this read. I am an avid DNDer, and felt that this was a good introduction to DND and DND terms for anyone who enjoys romance but also wants to broach into DND. I enjoyed that there was two story lines going on at the same time as their DND campaign story was going on at the same time and I really enjoyed that. It was something different and a fresh change to the book. Noah and Sadie were both lovable characters and I enjoyed their time together. I will be purchasing a physical copy once it is released and I look forward to any other titles by Lenora.

I'd like to start off by saying how stunning the cover for this book is! I love the colors, sparkles, the dragon, the characters, everything about it is gorgeous. As someone who is into what most people would consider nerdy activities, this book was perfect. After Sadie loses her job, she moves in with her old friend until she can get back on her feet. He finally gets her to play a game that he has always had a passion for, D&D. I love that this book has aspects from a game that is in the real world and that many people play.

So the D&D campaign starts and Sadie meets all of her best friend's friends. One of them happens to be a bard named Noah. Noah works as a bartender at a place called the Alchemist which offers so many fun fantasy/game themed cocktails. As the campaign progresses, Sadie and Noah start to get close to one another both in the game and outside of the game. I enjoyed how their characters in the game also flirted in the game a bit here and there. I thought it was sweet when Noah helped Sadie on a stressful night when she couldn't sleep by introducing her to roleplaying as their D&D characters through text message.

The main problem with their new relationship is that neither of them know where they are going in life. Noah is a traveling bard and never stays settled for long and Sadie doesn't have a job or a place to call her own. They have to overcome some personal struggles if they want to continue seeing each other. This book was the perfect mix of fantasy and romance and kept me entertained the whole time. Thank you to Netgalley, Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine, and Lenora Woods for an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion.

If you are looking for an adult (and slightly spicy) version of the Dungeons and Drama series or just love a mixture of romance and D&D, this is the book for you. This book was everything that I hoped it would be. I loved the dual perspective of Sadie, who is trying to figure out what is next in her life after being laid off from her career and her D&D character counterpart, Jaylie who must take down the evil sorcerer. It was fun to read the romance between Sadie and Noah's character in the campaign and outside of their weekly sessions. I was obsessed with both stories. If Lenora Woods decides to write more D&D romance stories in the future, they will be an auto-buy for me.

Roll for Romance comes out July 15th.

Thank you NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group-Ballentine for the opportunity to review Roll for Romance. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This was a really cute, heartwarming read! I'm a big fan of the "Dungeons and Drama" YA series by Kristy Boyce and was HOPING for an adult romance that involved D&D to come along...and Lenora Woods definitely delivered! The small town was cozy, the friend group was adorable, and I liked the communication between the main couple. All the "conflicts" felt very relatable, but weren't too over the top, and there was no third act breakup! Every few chapters featured the story of the group's D&D characters as well, which I found to be really unique and fun. I'm hoping Woods writes more romances in this world or at least featuring more D&D groups!

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Ballantine for the e-arc!

I really liked the setup. I am not familiar with DnD, so certain portions were hard to follow and felt overly drawn-out/a bit too deep. I think a love (or at least familiarity) with DnD would be helpful.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for the ARC.

The book was lighthearted and fun. However, the book just isnt for me. I couldnt really connect with the character and everything just seemed to fall into place easily for her. Noah was cute but not a MMC character I would gravitate towards. With that being said, it was still a cute book!

I wasn’t a huge fan of the D&D scenes. Nothing wrong with them, just not my thing. The romance in this was SUPER adorable though, I really loved Sadie and Noah. New favorite book couple! I’ll be looking out for more from this author for sure.

Solid 3.5 star read! If you like low-stress romances this is perfect for you. There is no third act break-up, and while there was a spicy scene or two, it wasn't SPICY spicy. Very sweet and loving.

As far as the actual romance goes, I enjoyed Sadie and Noah. I didn't really feel emotionally invested in them falling in love. Their connection seemed a bit surface level because of the limited amount of real-life time spent together. However, I still think they were a great pairing of main characters, and if you're willing to suspend reality for a little bit you can ignore the rushed timeline.

I enjoyed the intertwining storylines of the D&D campaign and the real life events. All of the characters were so wonderful to read about. The D&D campaign was engaging right up until the final confrontion where the minutia of battle made my eyes glaze over. (I'll be vague about this part but I found it really distasteful that Liam didn't let Sadie sit in the campaign the whole time. Sure, it added a little bit of drama but it was disrespectful of Sadie's emotional state and I don't think it aligned with Liam's personality as a whole.)

Overall, it was a cute romance. It just didn't stand out to me in the sea of other romances.

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

An absolute delight! This book was one for the nerds. It does an excellent job of combining a sweet romance story but also the fantasy storyline from dnd. You most definitely have to be in to roll playing games or fantasy to be interested in this book as that is the premise and takes up large amounts of the book. I think the title and description make it fairly obvious. The MMC has golden retriever energy and is so sweet. The friendship aspect between the people playing DND is also lovely too. A great time!

Absolutely nothing or no one could prepare me for how much I was going to fall in love with this book. I knew from the description and title it would be cute, but like THAT?! It’s such a perfect blend of modern romance and fantasy. Both genres are written flawlessly and flow seamlessly together. Woods’ writing is so immersive I felt like I was genuinely watching a TV show instead of reading! I would get so excited for nap time and bedtime just so I could jump back into Sadie’s world!! This is easily one of the best books I’ve read in the last few years. I have not one complaint about this book, it was truly perfect from start to finish. I teared up a little there at the end, just because of how emotionally invested I was in the characters and I was so happy for them 😭 (and I was also sad that the adventure was over) I highly highly recommend this book, it is a must read!! I just know the hangover from this one will be severe, my standards are just that much higher ❤️😂

Thank you Net Galley for giving me this ARC to read. I really enjoyed this sweet and funny romance. The story starts with Sadie going to Texas to see her friend Liam. Sadie has just lost her job in marketing and is feeling a little lost. To help Sadie get to know people and out of her room, Liam ask Sadie to join him and his friends playing Dungeons and Dragons. Liams group of friends provides Sadie with a found family and a love of Heller, Texas. While playing the game, Sadie rediscovers her love of artistic pursuits and falls in love with Noah. Noah and Sadie have a sweet and slow burn romance that is shown though Sadie's story and through the Dungeons and Dragons storyline. I would recommend this romance as it's a fast-paced romance with plenty of heart and humor.

Published on Instagram/Goodreads on February 8, 2025.

After experiencing a burnout that led to depression, Sadie leaves the fast-paced life of New York City for the slower rhythms of a small Texas town. Living with her best friend Liam, she’s eventually convinced to join his Dungeons & Dragons group, where she plays Jaylie, a priestess healer. As the game unfolds, Sadie’s character begins to develop feelings for Loren, a bard played by Noah. But is there something more to their connection in real life, or is she misinterpreting the situation?

This book offers a fresh take on familiar romance tropes. While it has all the elements of a typical romance novel, the incorporation of a DND game adds a unique twist. The narrative offers two storylines—one set in real life and the other within the game—which was fascinating to follow. It was exciting to see how the characters’ development in the game paralleled their personal growth in the real world.

Though the pacing was a bit slower at the start, it never became boring. By the end, I was equally invested in the fates of the in-game characters as I was in the romance between Sadie and Noah. The book also leaves a storyline involving a side character unresolved, which hints at a potential sequel. If there is another book, it will definitely be going straight onto my TBR!

This book would be great for readers who enjoy romance novels with a unique twist.

A special thank you to NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group for the advanced reader copy in exchange for honest feedback.

A delight!!! So smart to have them fall for each other in the game and in real life and seeing how they interplayed. Also deeply loved the friendships and how they were explored.