When it comes to romance, sometimes it doesn't hurt to play games. A fun YA romcom full of fake dating hijinks!
Musical lover Riley has big aspirations to become a director on Broadway. Crucial to this plan is to bring back her high school’s spring musical, but when Riley takes her mom’s car without permission, she's grounded and stuck with the worst punishment: spending her after-school hours working at her dad’s game shop.
Riley can't waste her time working when she has a musical to save, so she convinces Nathan—a nerdy teen employee—to cover her shifts and, in exchange, she’ll flirt with him to make his gamer-girl crush jealous.
But Riley didn’t realize that meant joining Nathan's Dungeons & Dragons game…or that role playing would be so fun. Soon, Riley starts to think that flirting with Nathan doesn't require as much acting as she would've thought...
Kristy Boyce lives in Columbus, OH and teaches psychology as a senior lecturer at The Ohio State University.
When she’s not spending time with her husband and son, she’s usually writing, reading, putting together fairy gardens, or watching happy reality TV (The Great British Bake-Off and So You Think You Can Dance are perennial favorites).
Kristy is the social media coordinator for Central and Southern Ohio SCBWI.
I questioned whether I was the right fit for this book. Even though my inner child is still singing loud and proud, my teenage years are ancient history, and I don't really know much about the Dungeon & Dragons universe (I even watched the movie adaptation, but it wasn't my cup of tea).
However, the cover was so vividly enchanting, perfect for someone like me who loves anything colorful! It practically called out to me, urging me to dive in and read. So, I did. Surprisingly, I loved it even more than I expected. I've come to realize that it's not always about the plot or genre that draws me in; what truly matters is the emotions and feelings a book stirs within you. This book rekindled a sense of joy deep within me. The estranged relationship between Riley and her father, her passion for musical theater, her determination to make her dreams a reality by pitching a low-budget musical idea to the school committee – all of these elements, along with the complex dynamics with Nathan, captured me and made for an engaging and emotional story.
The story revolves around Riley, still grappling with her parents' divorce and harboring resentment toward her father for prioritizing his career over his family. As a punishment for borrowing her mom's car without permission and embarking on a road trip to New York to catch a musical with her best friend (despite lacking a driver's license), she's forced to work at her father's game store for eight weeks. There, she finds herself surrounded by game enthusiasts and her father's favored employee, Nathan, who happens to be a school friend with whom she has a rather rocky relationship.
Riley's introduction to Nathan's D&D friends group reveals that the game parallels her improv "choose your-own-adventure" theater exercises. She discovers a way to breathe life into her character, utilizing her vocal abilities to add depth. As she enjoys herself, her ex-boyfriend shows up with his new girlfriend, who nabbed the role Riley had longed for. In addition, Nathan harbors feelings for Sophie, a reluctant participant in their D&D sessions. This prompts Riley to propose a mutually beneficial arrangement: a fake dating scheme to incite jealousy in their respective crushes.
Interestingly, the fake dating plan unfolds as intended, igniting Riley's enthusiasm to save the school musical. However, her complex feelings for Nathan begin to complicate matters. Could their act lead to something genuine? Will Riley be okay watching Nathan's affections drift to Sophie, who's always seeking what she can't have? Perhaps Riley should focus on convincing the school committee to green-light the musical and appoint her as the student director. But as they say, the heart wants what it wants.
Overall, this book brought me so much joy and even sparked my interest in the D&D game universe. The characters are well-crafted, genuine, and compelling, making it impossible for me to put down.
A big thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s/Delacorte Press for sharing this fantastic book's digital review copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts
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This book makes me want to fall to my knees in the street and scream “it’s perfect” at the sky. The fake dating was absolutely perfect. The jealousy! The “fake” endearments! The kissing! I eat the trope up every single time GOBBLE GOBBLE BARK BARK.
Eva Kaminsky is one of my favorite narrators and we are LUCKY to have her narrate this book. As lucky as we are to have this book in general!!
Thanks so much to PRHaudio for an ALC and the publisher for an eARC via NetGalley. All opinions are honest and my own.
Dungeons and Drama is truly adorable. It made my nerd heart so happy and left me wanting more from this author!
This YA Romantic Comedy features a fake dating trope and lots of cute, fun and witty character moments.
In this story we follow Riley, a theater girl, who gets busted taking her Mom's car without permission to go see a show in the city. With her best friend in tow, the girls take the risk, and sadly, don't get away with it.
Riley gets grounded. She's allowed no extracurriculars and as extra punishment, she has to start working at her Dad's game store after school.
She's barely ever set foot in the store and has no interest in games. All Riley cares about right now is getting the High School Spring Musical, currently canceled due to budgetary considerations, back on.
Her life is a mess without the possibility of the Musical. She can hardly think of anything else. Well, there's a few other things she thinks about: her uncomfortable relationship with her Dad, her ex-boyfriend succeeding in all things theater and the fact that he's driving her nuts.
A new co-worker at the store, cute and shy boy, Nathan, could be exactly what Riley needs. She convinces him to pretend they're into one another. Her ex now thinks she's moved on and the girl that Nathan likes is suddenly more interested in him, eaten up with jealousy because of Riley.
All is going to plan, until Riley realizes that flirting with Nathan is no longer much of an act. Have her plans gone too far? Is she falling for the D&D boy at the game store?
This book was so lovey. I read it in a day and got completely swept up in the story. I loved both Riley and Nathan. They were both incredibly earnest and naive, but in a way that felt natural to the story and works for the YA-genre.
I also enjoyed exploring Riley's relationship with her Dad. As a child of divorce, who lives with her Mom, Riley has felt sort of abandoned by her Dad. He's not a bad person, you can tell how me he loves her, but their communication at the start isn't great.
I loved watching the time they spent together at the store have such an impact on the way they communicated with one another. I felt like that development was just as satisfying as the romantic portions of this story.
But yeah, the romance was pretty sweet. It was just so cute, I can't think of another way to describe. I was crushing right along with Riley. Nathan is a pretty special guy.
I loved how he got Riley to join his D&D group; which was one of my favorite parts of this story. She ended up really enjoying it and was even able to channel some of her musical talents in her role as a bard.
I think as far as YA Rom-Com stories go, this has to be one of my faves. I feel like it was just really well executed. The character work was fantastic and I loved the messages and themes explored throughout.
I would definitely recommend this to any YA Contemporary Reader, particularly if you are a fan of RPGs, or the theater. This was a perfect blend of those things for me!
Thank you so much to the publisher, Delacorte Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I'm really looking forward to reading more from Kristy Boyce.
this was such a cute easy read that helped me get out of my reading slump. it may not be the greatest piece of literature ever written but i enjoyed it and that’s all that matters. the friendships and bonds formed through playing D&D were so nice to see. even though I don't know much about D&D, the book explained it just enough for me to understand. nathan and riley's relationship was so adorable, i was giggling and kicking my feet 🤭🤍.
the writing was simple and the book was pretty well paced although at times it was a little slow and dragged out, mostly towards the end.
it may not be the most exciting or well-written book, but it captures the joy of discovering new interests, making friends, and falling in love.
bottom-line ┆if you want a quick and refreshing read that's still a little different from other young adult rom-coms, give this book a try.
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𓏲 .𖥔 ݁ ˖ pre-read ⊹ someone recommended this as a good book to get out of a slump, soo i’m reading it 🤭 it’s as simple as that
I am a simple person - I see Dungeons and Dragons as a major part of a book & I want to read it immediately.
This is a cute little book where theatre kid Riley, our protagonist, is forced to work at her dad's game shop for two months after she steals her mom's car so she and her best friend can go see a musical a few hours away (Waitress, great choice). There she has to work with nerdy guy Nathan, who she does end up in a mutually beneficial fake dating/flirting sort of relationship with. She's also invited into Nathan's Dungeons and Dragons campaign, which she agrees to to get out of working. Obviously, none of this works out according to plan.
This book is a quintessential high school nerd romance. The fake dating and insane amount of miscommunication that comes from it is perfect for a high school situation where you don't really understand your own feelings and are a bit self-conscious and super unsure of everything, especially people's opinions of you.
When Riley is begrudgingly introduced to Dungeons and Dragons, her tune soon changes when she realizes "it's like improve meets choose your own adventure." She creates her human bard that is very obviously a self-insert (we've all been there) and starts on her tragic backstory like any respectable first time D&D player. The boys help her along the way and are super enthusiastic to have another player. There is a moment when the literal Dungeon Master (DM) mentions that he can't do all his accents BECAUSE he's the DM as if the best thing about being a DM isn't all of the incredibly silly accents you get to do. But that's fine and it's definitely not the biggest thing I've been thinking about after finishing this book last night...
I thought the Dungeons and Dragons and musical parts were done really well. This is only a 300 page book and fitting both of those interests, growing friendships, family issues AND fake dating drama was a lot so it did all feel a little rushed and underdeveloped at times (especially the family aspects). The side characters were all really wonderfully done, but I do wish we got to see a bit more of them. The big thing I feel like we missed out on was her bonding with her dad since 90% of it was done off page.
Highly recommend the audiobook, Eva Kaminsky does a great job.
One day Kristy Boyce woke up and decided she wanted to write a book FOR ME!! This not only met my expectations but exceeded them, I love this book so much. It's a very nerdy romance, something along the lines of the Once Upon a Con series by Ashley Poston, so if you loved that you'll love this too.
It was so sweet and felt like a proper teen read (as in the characters acted like teens and it's a ya book that actually feels ya instead of older). The romance was adorable and made me feel nice and warm inside, that's how it should be. They did have issues with communicating near the end, but it made sense with the story and their ages so I didn't mind.
I'm also not a huge fan of the fake dating trope outside of fanfics, but it was perfectly done here so I have to mention it. Authors take notes!!
The characters were all so lovable, I want to give them a big hug. Truly amazing writing there.
I also appreciate how the D&D campaigns were described, so even if someone's unfamiliar with D&D they can still follow along with no issue.
Lastly, I 100% recommend the audiobook, the narrator did such a good job, I didn't feel lost for a moment.
Totally cute read about fake dating in high school. Though I have to admit, it's a bit jarring to read high school level romances nowadays since I've really transitioned to mostly adult. Makes it a little harder to really get behind younger, more immature characters, but this was cute.
UAJJKWLALSL CAN SOMEONE SIGN ME UP FOR THE SECOND SMILE MOVIE??! I MIGHT ASWELL BE PAID TO SMILE BC I CANT STOP SMILING. I DONE NOTHING BUT SMILE THROUGHOUT THIS BOOK. MY CHEEKS HURTS SO BAD. THERES JUST SOMETHING ABOUT CUTE NERDY GUYS. WHERE DO I FIND MY OWN NATHAN? 🤨 If I kicked my feet even harder I would have flew away
PAUSE-- LETS TAKE A MINUTE TO ADMIRE THE COVER. *heart eyes* (this may or may not be the main reason I picked this book up)
spoilersssss ahead
“I decided having something fake with you was better than having nothing at all. I would have faked it forever rather than give you up.”
“You’d be willing to stay after school? Because of me?” “I’m willing to try a lot of new things because of you, Riley.”
“I like when you mess with me. I like everything you do with me.” His lips brush the back of my head and shivers run up my spine.”
HELLOOOO? EXCUSE ME?! UGHHH MY BABIES. THEY ARE THE FUCKING CUTESTTTTT. THE BICKERING, TEASING, SNARKY COMMENTS AND THE FLIRTING? I WAS EATING IT UP. PLATE? NO CRUMBS LEFT. BELLY? FULL. MOOD? SATISFIED. THOUGHTS? I’m single asf.
Not only did I love Nathan and Riley, but I fell in love with the whole friend group 🥹 I've never played dungeons of dragons nor have I read any books surrounding games, but gah dayum did I devour this.
Quotes everyone MUST read at least once 🙂↕️ (or else I will find you with my binoculars)
Nathan cocks his head. “You stole my speech. I’m out of my mind over you.”
“You don’t want me to say nice things?” “I’m used to jokes. Or teasing. Just stick to those instead of lying.” “I wasn’t lying. I love when you mess with me.”
“It’s pretty unusual, I know. You shouldn’t have expected anything less from me.” I shrug. “The dress is perfect. You look perfect.”
“I love your glasses,” I whisper. I gently lift them back up his nose, and he catches my hand in his. He lifts it to his lips and chuckles like I’ve just told a joke.”
“You know, I started hoping Sophia would come to the store every night just so I could do this.” He brushes my hair behind my ear. “And this.” He presses a kiss to my temple.”
“I laugh and his hands tighten around me until we’re pressed together.”
His whole body shakes with laughter. “Wow, I love you.”
“I love you a ridiculous amount,” I manage to say after a moment. He breaks into a smile so radiant I’m at risk of being burned by the heat of it. It feels like heaven. He kisses me again.”
Nathan squeezes my hand under the table. “Can you not drive because your dress is so fluffy you won’t fit in the driver’s seat?” he whispers. I laugh and slap my hand over my mouth. “Only time will tell,” I whisper back. I glance up and meet his gaze. “But I’ll give you one hint. It’s red.” >ifykyk <3
Me:
UGH NATHAN IS SO ADORABLE STOP IT. And Riley is def one of my favs fmc <3
Automatic 5 stars 😜 I knew I was gonna eat this up considering how much I loved ‘I hope this doesn’t find you’ (this one reminded me of it). CAN IT BE 2025 ALREADY? I CANT WAIT FOR THE SECOND BOOK
I was not prepared for the epic level of cuteness this book has going for it. Remember those book fair posters that had the kittens on them and said things like Hang in there? That is the level of cute I’m talking about… Mega-Cuteness. 🥰
If Julie Andrews and Rainbow Brite had a love child it would be the protagonist, Riley, from Dungeons and Drama. This theatre loving, show tune singing, kid dresses in more colors than a bag of Skittles and has spunk. She has a can do spirit when it comes to saving the school’s musical, but is still an emotionally vulnerable kid when it comes to the raw wounds left by her parents’ divorce.
Riley has been grounded for eight weeks and must work in her dad’s game store afterschool. She has also been through a breakup with a guy, who just keeps throwing it in her face.
Nathan works in Riley’s dad’s game store. He’s into Dungeons and Dragons and considers the shop and its regulars his found family. He has a huge crush on a fellow gamer who barely acknowledges him. Riley proposes that they fake date/flirt to deal with both of their issues.
The supporting cast was fantastic and I loved Riley’s best friend. Lots of laughs, but loads of supportive discussions between the best friends. It’s nice to see two teenage girl characters truly have each other’s backs.
The plot thread involving Riley’s dad awkwardly trying to repair their relationship was great. I liked that it was shown as a process and not an instant fix.
I needn’t have wondered if it was too narrow of a niche to find relatable. It’s about believing in yourself enough to dare to reach towards big dreams and learning to lean on the friends you find along the way when obstacles rise up to block your path.
This is a joyful book that gave me a sense of happiness while I read it and plastered a smile on my face even though I know nothing about Dungeons and Dragons.
This quirky little book had so much heart it ended up stealing mine.
𝘋𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘰𝘯𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘋𝘳𝘢𝘮𝘢 features Riley serving out the consequences of her reckless behaviour in her dad's Videogame shop and faking a relationship with fellow coworker Nathan in a mutually beneficial agreement to make his crush jealous and fend off her jerk of an ex.
- ~ -
Riley was a little crazy when it came to musicals and all things theatres. Dramatic would be apt. But she fell just as crazily for the infuriating and enegmatic Nathan.
Nathan had no business being this swoony in a YA romance. He always pushed her buttons for the better and embraced her extra. Even played the jealous boyfriend role too convincingly some might say.
The way the story played out with the perfect balance of passion for their respective hobbies and figuring out new stuff together and apart was incredible.
hm i’ve been debating on whether or not i should rate this book 2.5 or 3 stars. i decided i’m going to go with 2.5 bc overall there were more things i disliked than liked.
to begin, i was so excited to read dungeons and drama because the description seemed so interesting and (let’s be honest) the cover is adorable! unfortunately, the first half of this book was incredibly boring and uninteresting. i was considering dnfing, but decided to just finish it because it’s only 290 pages. while the second half of the book was a little more enjoyable, it still wasn’t giving me what i was looking for.
riley was genuinely one of the most boring and uninteresting characters i have ever read about. other than her getting on my nerves, i have absolutely nothing else to say about her.
nathan. he was just fine. i didn’t hate him, but like riley, there was nothing special or interesting about his character. he wears spider-man shirts so i guess he gets a bonus point for that.
the one redeeming aspect of this book was the found-friendship. i loved how they would take turns picking out movies to watch and playing d&d together. it was really sweet! oh and i guess i did like the fake-dating trope!! even though i wasn’t a big fan of the romance.
to conclude, for the most part, this book was bland and uninteresting!! i did just read this time it’s real so that may be why i didn’t enjoy this book as much. (everyone knows ann liang is the queen of ya romances.) anyways, i would not recommend dungeons and drama, as i think there are much better books out there!
Well first of all the book made me giggle because how some scenes were cute but the writing and the description of the characters just no I simply didn't care if the fmc is wearing so colourful clothes because she wasn't like the other girls like bro we all the same! And Nathan was just Nathan he was cute and TBH I liked the story it had potential but it didn't do it for me I absolutely had fun but probably will forget about it yk
This was SO light, fluffy and fun to read. The characters were well rounded and entertaining. The store felt like a safe place (which I loved reading about) and the fake dating plot had me giggling 🤭.
*MINOR SPOILERS* There was a lack of communication but if you hold on you see why. It’s intentional and I appreciated reading that perspective.
This is a totally PG read so it’s perfect for young adults and teens!
Thank you so much to Penguin Teen for my ARC, I truly appreciate it!
4.25/5⭐️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
⤿ .`★ ”But sitting next to Nathan right now, trying not to notice how incredibly gorgeous he looks in his slightly wrinkled suit with his glasses askew, it doesn’t feel like I’ve won anything. All tonight has done is show me what an absolute mess I’ve made of everything. My heart is going to collapse if I have to spend one more moment with Nathan while he pretends he likes me and I pretend I don’t love him. Because I do.
‧ * ₊ 。 ꒰🍁꒱ I’m so obsessed with cheesy rom-coms and this one is no different 🤭 I don’t play DND at all so I was kinda lost through some of the book but the romance made up for it ! I love how bold Riley is, her outfits were refelecting who she was and I adore her 🥹 Nathan is my #1 boyfriend, I’m obsessed with him in every single way, he’s so caring and open about everything. He loved Riley for SO long while she thought he was faking everything ☹️💕 such a caring man. Someone treat me how he treats her. There was so many corny parts, but that’s what makes it such a good book, it’s very realistic and something everyone should read 🙏🙏
I’m going to reread this about 50 more times I’m in love with Nathan 😣
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୨୧‧₊˚ 🎞️ pre-review✧˖°
💌 ꒱ round two 🥳 I need to write the review this time
4,75⭐️ Bah go pour un coup de coeur en fait. C’était si drôle, si touchant, si CUTE. Je l’ai dévoré en un temps record, incapable de m’arrêter tellement j’étais à fond, tellement je ne voulais pas lâcher les personnages. C’est un petit bonbon de douceur que je ne peux que vous recommander !
I am 1000% not the target demographic for this book, but when I read the blurb and discovered this to be a “will they? / won’t they?” centered around a theater kid and a D&D enthusiast I felt targeted…
I’m delighted I made this impulse purchase because the story did not disappoint. The characters were three dimensional and the story unfolded in a more than satisfying way.
Thank you to Random House Children's and Delacorte Press for the arc through netgalley, and Get Underlined for the finished copy in exchange for an honest review!
I absolutely fell head over heels for this book, with such high hopes going in I hoped so desperately that I would love it, and luckily it lived up to all expectations! In the reading world, I feel as if I've seen a few more stories around that are being written about roleplaying games or Dungeons & Dragons and it has made my DND player heart so happy. I was even more thrilled when I read the author's page at the end of the book, because it stated she found DND in high school as well and ended up marrying her Dungeon Master (DM) and my boyfriend is our DM. I thought that was so fun, and made me even more appreciative of her writing this romance.
From reading this story, it's so very obvious that Kristy Boyce knows her stuff with DND even if I hadn't read the author's note at the back. There are a fair amount of terms in this book that are presented to the reader, and as a player, I recognized all of them, but if you were not a player it would not be overwhelming at all. Boyce doesn't go into a ton of the actual complexities of the game, this story is more about the benefit of the game in making connections and memories with friends which is such a heartwarming theme. I've made my best friends playing the game since my boyfriend introduced it to me, and I'm forever grateful to have my favorite people play with me.
Beyond that, the moment that Riley stepped into her dad's game store I wanted to be there so badly with her, it sounded so cozy and welcoming. The game store was in the front, with a gaming room towards the back where people gathered to play games and obviously Dungeons & Dragons. The community aspect and support from the people who were regulars at the store were just as heartwarming as the time Riley spent playing the game. It was basically a real-life version of found family and one of my favorite aspects of the book.
Riley was such a fun main character, there were a few times she sort of drove me bonkers or I was confused about her decisions (aka the very first decision we're introduced to from her character) and yet it was very hard NOT to root for her. Especially as she spent more time at the game store and came to understand how important it was to other people, just as theater was important to her. She is also one of the most motivated and successful main characters I've read in a young adult book in a long time. When she puts her mind to something, she actually really accomplishes it.
Nathan was the perfect romantic interest and no one can tell me otherwise, even if he wasn't exactly the person I was envisioning prior to starting this book. He really is sweet and cares a lot about his friends and the game, something that can be seen through so many of his actions. But he's also a bit of a grump at times, something Riley uses to her advantage to mess with him. Just trust me that there are so many cute scenes between them and that I was in love with him so fast.
The romance was done SO well in this book, fake-dating/forced proximity and enemies-to-lovers are my favorite tropes and to see this intermixed with DND as well was so much fun. Riley and Nathen begin fake dating so that they can make Riley's ex-boyfriend leave her alone, and a girl Nathen likes jealous. Quickly, at least to me, it becomes apparent that they share a lot of the same values and really hit it off, and they fall for each other as they play in-game as well. I wish there had been a little more flirting in character as that would've been fun to see, and something I am definitely prone to as my boyfriend is the DM, but it was still so lovely. I think they ended in a good spot as well, and the classic "third-act breakup" actually seemed realistic in this instance. It still wasn't my favorite as I kind of hate that there always is one, but it didn't bother me as much because it felt realistic.
Everything about this story was exactly what I hoped for, and it makes me really hopeful that more people write about Dungeons & Dragons, as it was so heartwarming to read about it as a player. I definitely recommend this cute little romance and I hope it gets all the love it deserves.
[TW: parental divorce mentioned/divorced parents, absent parents, cheating mentioned, health scare and hospital visit]
"The dress is perfect. "YOU LOOK PERFECT" *Era un vestido de plumas de colores*
OBRA DE ARTE. PERFECCIÓN EN LIBRO. ARTE. ¿YA DIJE QUE ES PERFECTO? LO REPITO, ES PERFECTO.
Dungeons and Drama, es un libro que llegó a mi vida de forma inesperada y ahora se quedará en mi corazón para siempre.
Es un libro de romance rosita que me hizo llorar de emoción, porque no leía una comedia romántica tan pura desde hace tiempo. 🌻🌼🦋💗❤️🩹💐💗🌼🌻
Nathan y Riley, me han encantado muchísimo desde el inicio de su relación. Eran extraños que estudiaban juntos y no sabían del otro, bueno ella no sabía. Luego cuando se conocen en el trabajo fuera del instituto fue muy divertido de ver y ya con lo del FAKE DATING, me mataron de amor de la mejor manera.
Amé que en este libro la amistad fuera la protagonista, no era tanto el romance, sino que la escritora reflejara una relación muy bonita entre los personajes principales y quiénes los acompañaban.
El grupo de amigos que formaron fue un abrazo al corazón y es por estas cosas que ESTE LIBRO ES DIFERENTE A OTROS.
LÉANLOOOOOOOO, no se van a arrepentir. Es lo más bello y puro que hay.
Además, las personalidades son muy divertidas y amo los agregados como el ser fieles a nosotros mismos o la relación entre padres e hijos que mostraron.
when I say my 16-year-old self would've been OBSESSED with this book 😂 my 20-something self enjoyed it too, which is great. this book is just plain adorable, and gave me all the feels of watching a teen rom-com that I'd happily rewatch. if you're a fan of musical theater, D&D, dislike-to-love romance, fake dating, friendship, and nerdy pop culture references, this is super cute and I'd recommend!
4.5 stars, it’s a cute light read. 💗🪈⚔️🎶 I loved the dnd group dynamic & love trope a lot, understanding all the nerdy role play/musical references is a plus:) Just wish the book wasn’t so short since I felt I didn’t have enough time with the characters.
“i’m willing to try a lot of new things because of you, riley.”
— four point five stars, rounded down.
this book easily lived up to, and smashed, all of my expectations. i had read my first ever dungeons and dragons themed book last year when i had read reggie and delilah's year of falling by elise bryant (which, if you loved that book, you'll love this one and vise versa), and i adored it. so, i figured i should give this one a try... and i don't regret it.
dungeons and drama is everything you could want in a young adult romance. the fake dating trope was executed perfectly, the romance was really cute (and age appropriate considering i've noticed a trend in ya books where the authors forget that these characters are supposed to be teenagers), and it was just a really fun read all around.
something i really, really liked is the explanations of dungeons and dragons terms, and actually letting us see the games instead of just making them little fade to black scenes. i thought that was a really nice touch, and as someone who didn't know much about d&d before, i was able to connect to riley through that, and even felt like i was learning with her. it was a great touch.
speaking of...
riley was a great protagonist. the book opens with a bang, giving us a pretty good insight to her character and really makes me like her right off the bat, which is a great thing. usually, i take a good few chapters to warm up to main characters, but i connected with riley right away. everything about her, from her fashion sense to her passion for theater to her strained relationship with her father, made me love her more and more as a character. she was very complex, or as complex as you can make a character in a shorter book, and felt very fleshed out to me. i love her, and think she was an amazing main character. already added her to my favorite book characters list!
nathan… i could cry thinking about him. are you serious? he's THE guy. everyone else can go home. nathan is literally, literally the man ever. i've found in a lot of books that i've read recently that i've had a hard time rooting for the relationship because i dislike the male love interest, but i genuinely adored nathan. he's so well fleshed out, and everything he did for riley made me swoon. (he is also the living embodiment of he fell first AND he fell harder, i don't care.) i want my own nathan. i'm so serious.
as for their overall relationship, i love how he and riley went from mutually annoyed coworkers to friends to... well, you get the gist. their banter was perfect. their were very tiny moments throughout the book where you could see them falling for each other, and i loved every second of it. i would read a thousand books about these two.
i didn't give this book a full five stars because of some minor things. i really do wish it were longer, as i would love to have seen there were also a couple of minor things in the writing that bugged me (such as the author writing out 'omg' when it wasn't in dialogue towards the end of the book. that's a personal nag, but it drove me crazy).
but, overwhelmingly, i couldn't find much to not love here. a great main duo, parents who actually parent (and i really enjoyed watching riley's relationship with her dad develop), a great cast of supporting characters, and so on and so forth. this book was amazing, and i can't wait to get a physical copy for annotating and screaming in the margins.
5 STARS. To be completely honest I didn’t expect to rate it so high. OH MY GOSH. I’m going to gush about this book until the end of time. This is your sign to read it. I loved every second and I’m so sad it’s over.