Roll for Romance by Lenora Woods

Synopsis (via Goodreads): Two fledgling tabletop gamers find themselves falling for each other—both in and out of their weekly D&D sessions—in this charming, fantasy-tinged romance.

For years, Sadie Brooks has declined her best friend’s standing invitation to join his Dungeons & Dragons campaign. But when she unexpectedly loses her marketing job and flees New York City to spend the summer with him in small-town Texas, she also runs out of excuses to say no.

In the game, she becomes Jaylie, a powerful and self-assured human cleric blessed by the Goddess of Luck with spells to heal her companions. But in real life, Sadie believes her luck has run out, and she hopes the distraction will give her time to clear her head and plan next steps.

She never expected Noah Walker—the handsome, outgoing bartender roped into joining them—to factor into that plan. Like Sadie, he’s new in town. But with a taste for adventure, Noah never stays in one place for long. He’s something of a traveling bard—just like his character Loren, the charismatic, lute-strumming elf. While Jaylie finds herself succumbing to the bard’s charms over the course of their party’s travels, Sadie also begins to fall under Noah’s spell.

As their relationship progresses in both worlds, Sadie can’t help but wonder if they might last beyond the game. But when a surprising new opportunity opens in New York, she must face the truth about why she lost her job in the first place—and whether she and Noah have found something in Texas worth staying for. Torn between her career dreams in the city and the exciting uncertainty of a new adventure, she will have no choice but to roll the dice.

Roll for Romance was a book that made my nerdy heart happy. I loved seeing adults playing D&D and showcasing it's relevance to real world problems (sometimes you have to roll for initiative). It's a fun way to escape into a fantasy world with a character of your choosing; someone you can give skills and attributes to that don't necessarily reflect you as a person, but maybe a version of yourself you'd like to be. I also really enjoyed seeing Sadie's authentic reaction to day-to-day life and the struggles that go along with it, and how she chose to create a character that was strong enough to face those challenges head on. 

The correlation between the characters' lives and their game was amazing. I loved being immersed in their campaign and also seeing the separate progression of the overall story. Sadie poured her heart and soul into her character and it gave her an escape from the pressures and expectations of her life. I liked seeing her open up and be her genuine self around new people, since she made it clear that the people from her old life were only work associates and roommates. She needed a solid circle of friends that cared about her and wanted her around.

The romance is slow burn but definitely worth it! Sadie and Noah had an undeniable connection, both as their D&D characters and in real life. It was sweet seeing them open up and be vulnerable with each other, especially since neither of them had planned on sticking around for very long. Noah is a free spirit that doesn't like to stay in one place for too long, and Sadie always intended on getting another job in New York and resuming her old life. This creates caution in their budding relationship, because Sadie doesn't want to commit to something temporary. I think the author handled this really well, and their friendship-turned-more was wholly believable without being frustrating. 

Roll for Romance is a fun, mostly lighthearted story about friendships, taking chances, challenging yourself, and being true to the desires of your heart—whether that's a person, place, or just a feeling. (★★★★☆)

PS: At the end of the book the author includes questions and some fun D&D advice for creating a character!

I received an ARC from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. My thoughts and opinions are my own. Any quotes I use are from an unpublished copy and may not reflect the finished product.