Audiobook Review: Dating and Dragons by Kristy Boyce

Author: Kristy Boyce

Narrator: Abigail Reno
Title: Dating and Dragons

Series: Gaming and Romance #2

Genre: YA, Romance, Contemporary Romance
Format: Audiobook
Published: December 31, 2024
Where I Got It: My shelf (gift)

Summary: 

Quinn Norton is starting over at a new high school and hopes that joining a D&D game will be the trick to making friends. The plan sounds even better when she’s invited into a group that includes Logan Weber, the cute and charming guy she met on her first day of class. But this isn’t your average D&D campaign— this group livestreams their games and enforces strict rules: no phones allowed, and no dating other group members.

Quinn is willing to accept the rules, even if it makes Logan off-limits. And she quickly learns that doing so won’t be a problem, since Logan goes from charismatic to insufferable as soon as she agrees to join. As their bickering—and bantering—intensifies inside and outside the game, Quinn can’t help wondering: Is Logan’s infuriating behavior a smokescreen for hidden feelings? Quinn is risking it all, and the twenty-sided dice are rolling!

Review:

I was given this as a giftie because I had really loved book 1. It was so fun.

Here we have Quinn and Logan. Quinn is starting over at a new high school and hopes that joining a D&D game will be the trick to starting this new life with new friends. This sounds like a perfect plan when she notices that Logan is part of the group. He was nothing but smiles and kindness on her first day. This group has special and strict rules since they live stream their sessions: no phones and no dating other group members. She quickly learns the no-dating rule won't be a problem since Logan went from charming to insufferable as soon as he finds out she is joining the group. As their bickering and bantering intensify, Quinn can't help but wonder....is Logan's jerk behavior a smokescreen to hidden feelings? Would it be worth Quinn finding out?

This can be read as a standalone. This doesn't really tie into the other book. Different group and different school. There are some cameos, but you can read this one without the other one. Bummer, but oh well. 

This was very sweet, and I loved everyone. I especially loved Quinn's granny. She was hilarious and fun! She had me in stitches. I want to be her when I grow up!!!!!

Quinn was sweet. The girl needs some therapy, though. Her last group of friends was TOXIC with a capital T. 

Logan, once you see past the asshole-ness, is very sweet as well. Very charming. No wonder he plays a bard so well. 

There were a couple of little plot "twists" that were added. Sure, I get WHY...drama baby, drama...but it just bogged down the story a bit for my liking. I do not think it was necessary to add more fuel to the angst and pining for these two. Gah. Poor Quinn.

The narrator did a good job. All her teen boy voices were very similar, so you really have to focus and listen. But other than that - I liked her. She did well. 

In the end, I enjoyed this a lot. A nice new group of teens finding love in D&D and finding love at the table. The "live streaming" was a nice element. I hope we see them in the next book. Even a cameo would be nice. 

4 stars. 

Reading Challenges

- Audiobook #1

Audiobook Review: Dungeons and Drama by Kristy Boyce

Author: Kristy Boyce

Narrator: Eva Kaminsky

Title: Dungeons and Drama

Series: Dungeons and Drama #1

Genre: Romance, YA, Contemporary

Format: Audiobook

Published:  January 9, 2024

Where I got It: Borrowed from library

Summary: 

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...

Review:

This was picked for book club, plus, I've had my eyes on this so I was excited to see it get selected. Weeee. 

Here we follow Riley who is a teenage drama queen. She loves the stage and loves musicals; she dreams of becoming a stage director one day. However, all that comes crashing down when she takes her mom's car without permission to a show. As punishment, she now has to work after school hours at her dad's game shop. In order to get some of her shifts covered so she can work on the school musical (plus keep her ex from knowing she is single STILL) , she strikes a deal with Nathan. She will help make his crush jealous by flirting with him if he pretends to be her boyfriend when her ex shows up and cover a couple of shifts. He agrees, but she has to join his D&D game. Little will she know that she will fall for D&D and for Nathan.

This was simply adorable. I really enjoyed it and I couldn't stop listening to it. As a girl who loves both musicals and D&D this was such a fun combo and seeing the two worlds come together. LOVE. 

The characters are fun even though Riley's selfishness drove me to insanity sometimes. At the core of it, she is a nice girl....just a typical teen who is obsessed with herself and what she wants. 

Nathan was a sweet boy but again...there were times he was stuck on only what he wanted.

Teens. *rolls eyes*

Even though this was a YA, it didn't feel cringey YA like some of them can. You know what I mean. It felt real and had some depth and it was enjoyable. It was a very cute and sweet. It took a while for these two to become more which worked great for the story. 

The narrator was fantastic. Perfect voices for everyone and her singing was cute. 

But yes, I adored this story. 5 stars from me for sure. 

- Favorite Character(s): Nathan

- Least Favorite Character(s): Paul

 Challenge(s):

- Audiobook #17

- Library love #9

- Romance Reading #14 (Fake Dating trope)