This was such a heartwarming and charming story, beautifully done! I think we can all relate to burnout and moments of doubt, when it's hard to choose which direction to take in life and the pressure is high. So watching Sadie rediscover herself through D&D - where her character can be brave and bold and adventurous - was such a lovely premise. Also, I enjoyed the blending of the fantasy and real life storylines, it's like getting two books for the price of one :) It's a romance novel, but it's also about self-love and acceptance, as well as the importance of friendship, and I really appreciate when there's more to the story than just the dynamic between the main couple. So if you're looking for something cozy and life-affirming - give this book a try,

⭐️⭐️.25/5

Thank you to Quercus and Arcadia for an advanced early reader copy in exchange for review.

I will start this by saying I had SUCH high hopes for this book. I spoke about it regularly on my podcast as one of my most anticipated reads of the year. Unfortunately, when it came down to it, it fell extremely flat.

Roll for Romance follows Sadie Brooks, a marketing exec who has recently lost her job in New York City and fled to the safety of her closest friend's house in Texas, where she will spend the summer trying to pull the pieces of her life together before securing a new job back in the city. For as long as she can remember, she has been fending off bestie, Liam's requests to let him run a D&D campaign for her. With nothing else to do and no reason to say no, she joins a guild of fellow newbies for their first-ever adventure.

In-game, she is Jaylie, a fearless and confident cleric blessed by the Goddess of Luck - the complete opposite of the person she views herself to be.

What she definitely did not expect was to start to have feelings for Noah Walker, a ruggedly handsome and flighty bartender who never sticks around in the same city for too long. His in-game character Loren, a bard with a thirst for adventure, is not so different from the person Sadie believes Noah to be. And despite all the obstacles in her way and the nagging voice in the back of her mind, telling her that falling for this man is unreasonable and impossible, her heart and their characters in-game think otherwise.

However, when a new and exciting position at a company in New York presents itself, with Sadie ticking all the boxes, she must face the real reason she lost her last job and whether the career she has been working towards all her adulthood, is actually what she wants to do with her life. Not only that, but whether her relationship and new friendships are enough to tie herself to a whole new life entirely.

This book features:

🩷 RPG and D&D
⭐️ Nerdy Romance
🩷 Slow-Burn
⭐️ Found Family
🩷 Cinnamon Bun MMC
⭐️ LGBTQIA+ Representation
🩷 Mental Health Representation
⭐️ Friends to Lovers
🩷 Story within a Story


This book had SO much potential. I am a girl who loves everything geeky. I am married to an extremely geeky man who runs a weekly D&D game - so I am no stranger to the world and RPG's. So when I heard about this book, I was so excited - I reached out to Quercus specifically to try and secure a copy.

There were some elements I enjoyed; conceptually, the storyline within the story was intriguing and something I think could have worked well. Noah was a fun MMC with a unique backstory. Equally, I loved the friendships between Sadie and her guild members. I also think that Woods' representation of burnout and mental health was well-executed and realistic.

That being said, the book as a whole was poorly paced. The quick changes between the real-life and gameplay was abrupt and had very little to no indication when a switch was about to happen. This was extremely jarring; it made it difficult to follow the storyline and I found myself being taken out of the story in order to figure out what was happening and then picking back up again with each plot line was extremely taxing. Generally, I am an extremely fast reader, however, despite this book being relatively short, it still took me over a week to finish.

While Sadie's character was reasonably fleshed out - seeing her artistic side through her work on the mural and on the portraits of her fellow guild members, I found it difficult to relate to/like her overall. While I appreciate she was suffering from burnout (and boy can I relate), she was rather bland in terms of her personality.

Also, while I loved Noah, the romance between the two main characters was flat and rather boring. In fact I would argue that the romance between their characters in-game was far more genuine and interesting than their real-life romance, and with FAR MORE chemistry.

Overall, it's not a book I would recommend to most readers - and definitely not something I will find myself picking up or gravitating towards again in the future.

As someone who enjoys gaming, both tabletop and online, this apealed to me. But I really couldn't get behind this.

The characters themselves are undeniably cute. Sadie is relatable, and Noah is genuinely sweet. I especially enjoyed their slow-burn aspects. The chemisty worked and their moments felt charming.

That being said, I overall didn't really enjoy this. I understand that this is trying to make the gaming aspect accessible for readers who may not have played before, but I found the constant explanations a bit grating. But the most egregious thing - I absolutely dispised the fact that they're overtly flirting in front of a room of people, even kissing in the game. If I was the DM of this game, I'd be so incredibly uncomfortable.

On top of that, I didn’t love the “story within a story” setup. While the author clearly has a knack for writing the in-game fantasy sections, I think I would have preferred a straightforward fantasy romance instead. The writing shows that the author could really shine in that genre without the extra frame.

Overall, while there were some sweet character moments, the execution just wasn’t for me.

⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)
Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an e-ARC.

It took me almost two months to finish this book, not because of its length, but because I kept putting it down. The premise immediately caught my attention, but the execution didn’t fully work for me.

The story follows two main characters who move to a small town and join a D&D campaign. Their romance is meant to develop both in real life and through the characters they play in-game. I thought this was such a unique and creative idea, but the balance between the two storylines didn’t quite click for me. Around half of the book focuses on the fictional D&D campaign, and at times it felt like it overshadowed the real-world romance. Instead of deepening the characters’ connection, those sections often pulled me away from it.

I also found it a little hard to connect with the protagonists, and the romance didn’t fully convince me in either storyline. Because of that, I never felt fully invested, and it ended up being a slower read than I expected.

Overall, this was a middle-of-the-road romance for me. I think readers who know going in how much of the book is dedicated to the campaign storyline may enjoy it more, but for me the execution just didn’t live up to the concept.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me early access to this eARC for an honest review!

I need to gush over how this novel is written. I'm loving the split between the out of character normal lives of Sadie and the other players, however, also having the in game scenarios being played out by all their player characters is so much fun. My only gripe with the scenario is that the characters are acting as if they are experienced D&D players, whereas the table is formed by players new to the game. For storytelling reasons this makes sense, however as an experienced TTRPG player myself I found it a bit odd.

I'm not particularly a fan of the beginning of the romance. It's giving very instalove and for me this isn't my favourite. I can definitely appreciate being attracted to someone from the get go, but he is kind of a bit creepy with it. Sadie is a bit more realistic with her attraction at least telling herself to cool off... As they progress through the novel it becomes so much more wholesome and sweet, thankfully and I found myself rooting for them. Especially when they decided to role play as their D&D characters out of game. That was so freaking cute!

I enjoyed the 3rd act drama in this novel as well. It wasn't miscommunication, thankfully, as both characters actually spoke about their concerns and their plans. They were okay with a type of relationship which was 'we will see where we end up', even though secretly hoping they end up together. It was refreshing and realistic and I loved how they navigated the challenges this type of relationship can bring up.

I really really enjoyed this book! I loved the alternating POV between the main story and the D&D campaign. This was a cosy read with really likeable characters and a fun/unique angle with the D&D aspect.

No third-act breakup? Oh my yes please!

No miscommunication? Gimme!

This book inspired me to create a D&D character and explore the game's mechanics, and it has even sparked my interest in playing it. So, well done.

I enjoyed the small-town feel of Heller, the D&D friend group, and having a FMC who wasn't exactly sure where she wanted to go in life.

It took me a bit to get used to the style of the book - jumping between the real world and the D&D world and characters. Both storylines were fun and engaging.

I will confess that I expected Sadie to return to New York and her fancy new job for a while and then have Noah follow her there, but I like how the story ended (which is the more obvious ending now that I think about it XD).

I'm not well versed in the D&D universe, but I still got plenty of enjoyment from this story!

I loved the friends-to-lovers romance with just the right amount of fantasy thrown in to keep it interesting.

I think plenty of people are going to love this story as it brings together two crowds - the bookworms and the tabletop gaming crowd!

The romance was fun but I did get a bit lost within the two stories that were happening. I definitely think it was a great idea to have both the real life romance and the more fantasy story too, but it did cause me some confusion.

That being said, I would love to read more from this author - maybe even a romantasy as she writes both genres really well!

I am such a sucker for a dnd romance, when playing or watch games the tension between friends is so delicious to me. This book captured that tension and banter that comes with a dnd table, and translated it into written word SO well.

One thing I especially loved was the friendships and their dynamics throughout the book, playing dnd is about friendship and fun and I love that that was highlighted in here too.

A perfectly sweet and nerdy romance that does justice to both the game of Dungeons and Dragons and the arc of the characters without bogging down either storyline. It felt more like an immersive romance within a romance than actually focusing on any of the mechanics of game play.

An excellent read if you enjoy a slow burn romance, found family, set in a small town!

This was such a fun, geeky and cute read. I couldn’t put it down. I loved that the story was told in two parts as it were the Dungeons and Dragons campaign and the real life players. I also enjoyed the characters and how well they are developed. While I powered through this I will say it’s definitely worthy of re-reading if you love all things geeky and romance. I will definitely be getting a physical copy and look out for Woods other works too.
As always thank you to Quercus Books for the advanced copy to review, my reviews are always honest and freely given.

I really enjoyed this read, it's the perfect mix of Dungeons and Dragons meets romance, I really enjoyed the multi-story plot with Sadie and Noah in real life and then their characters in liam's campaign. It really drew me in as I was so invested with both and Lenora Woods truly blended the two worlds into one very well. I did feel the pacing was slightly off, just because the time went quite fast despite Sadie claiming she is doing nothing, then about half way into the book things really pick up. I'd recommend this read to other readers who love the likes of Legends and Lattes and other similar cosy fantasy reads, it has the perfect blend of cosy and romance which really sold it for me.

So firstly I am NOT a D&D girly, I’ve just never wanted to play and never had much interest in learning, that said I thought premise of this book just sounded so adorable and I wanted to love it (even if I was confused.

However I didn’t get it, all the D&D time spent on page was written as it was happening so it was told from the P.O.Vs from the characters, rather than the real people playing as showing the rules and rolls on how to play, I just feel while those chapters were fun it missed a lot by letting the reader know how the plays got to where they were. I also found Sadie super annoying as a FMC, it felt like she did a lot of self pity and wallowing. Very little work on herself, yet after one successful mural she has so much confidence and was able to conquer the world but didn’t do the work on herself for that to be sustainable.

Liked the idea of this book however found it really hard to get into reading it. I pushed through and managed to get to 35% and then the book picked up and I understood the premise a lot more.

This book is for anyone who loves romance and Dungeons & Dragons - the book is a perfect mix of the two.
Made me laugh, made me get a bit tearful and I was fully imersed in this book.
Loveable/likeable characters in both the book and the D&D campaign. Give me more of these wonderful books Lenora!

Perfect mixture of adventure, trying new things, friendship, romance and spice. Also touching on high stress and fast pace jobs and the need to put yourself first, and not feel guilty for doing so. Character growth throughout the book, was slow paced and realistic.

Very much looking forward to more books by Lenora Woods, her writing style is a chef's kiss.

I had such a fun time reading this book, and it got me out of a really bad reading slump, so I have to give credit where it's due.

The DND campaign storyline got me hooked, and I loved reading about it as much as the actual storyline outside of their campaign.

Sadie's character was so relatable and I really enjoyed her character development throughout the book!

Overall, a definite 5 stars because it made me feel all warm and fuzzy on the inside and I had the best tome reading it!

A cute, cozy, D&D themed read that was a very slow burn romance. I enjoyed aspects of this book especially the D&D campaign character's point of view which was fun to follow as the party progressed through the campaign. However I found the real world aspects of the book dragged for me, making me almost want to skim ahead just so I could read more about what the fantasy party were doing! Unfortunately I can only say this book was a solid 3 star for me due to the pacing, and also had some awkward attempts to use D&D checks as a clever pun on real life skills that felt a bit cringey to read.

I really enjoyed this book, the plot was well paced and the characters were well written. I look forward to reading more from this author.

thank you to netgalley and quercus books for proving this arc!

rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

this was such a fun read!! i had the best time reading sadie’s story. i was surprised by how much i loved the d&d campaign throughout the book, as a d&d newbie i didn’t know what to expect but miss lenora woods you had me hooked!! the combination of d&d gameplay and sadie’s pov was really interesting to read, and the roleplay chats between sadie and noah were a really cool touch.

i loved how natural the romance felt, it was definitely a slow burn but in all the best ways, and the dynamic between the supporting characters was just as good!! i was giggling and kicking my feet at how well sadie fit into small town life in texas, and with the others in the campaign. i was genuinely so happy for her!! i definitely got found family vibes and i am not complaining!

there wasn’t a whole lot that happened throughout the plot, but i think that was quite a perfect fit for this book. the multiple pov’s (present day and d&d gameplay) really kept me on my toes and i found the charm of this book was held in noah’s golden retriever personality (just adorable btw) and the buzz of the d&d campaign (lowkey intense!!), i just couldn’t wait to see where it would lead.

i’m really looking forward to more releases from lenora woods. i would definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a low stakes, cosy romance with found family vibes and a gamer setting throughout. also, can we please take a moment to appreciate how cute this cover is??

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting me access in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a fun read!!! Lenora Woods is clearly a fan of D&D and expertly captures the incredible journey a campaign can be for plays. Liam is a dream DM and I'm jealous of the fictional set up our protagonist Sadie gets to indulge in.

Woods also writes and incredible blend of fantasy and contemporary that could maybe be classed as 'contemporary romantasy' it's such an interesting take on the use of split POV between Sadie and her character Kaylie's individual adventures over a summer in Texas. Definitely a good summer read if you’re looking for a light-hearted, nerdy, cosy romance.