Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)

Hi friends!

I just got back from BookCon in NYC, and let me tell you, it was a lot of fun. I made some new bookish friends, stayed in a wonderful Airbnb in Jersey City, and mostly stayed away from the 3rd floor. (IYKYK). If you want to see more of my photos from BookCon, head on over to my socials. Now though, I am back home and need to tell you about this wonderful young adult romance novel I received from the folks at Random House Children’s Books, Delacorte Romance, and author Kristy Boyce.

Rolls and Rivalry is the third book from Kristy Boyce that centers on high school romance and combines one of my other favorite activities, playing Dungeons and Dragons. I am currently a level 17 High Elf rogue thief, for those of you who were wondering. So I was beyond excited to read this novel before its release on May 5th.

This book is primarily about our girl Hazel. She has big shoes to fill as the child of two band geeks and a mother who is also a dungeon master, with college on the horizon. She went a different route than her parents, choosing color guard instead of an instrument. However, she still wants to make them happy and win the same award her mom did her senior year of high school. This year, she was chosen to lead the Color Guard, and after inviting them over for dinner and realizing she had nothing planned for team building, she decided to have her fellow guards create their own D&D characters. Then she decides to run her own campaign with people from the color guard.

Oh, and let’s not forget about Max. Hazel had the biggest crush on him when he came over in her younger years while their parents played D&D together before he moved away. But now Max is back and seems upset with her. She does not know why he can’t seem to stop arguing with her, or what happened while he was away. His mom is back in her parents’ D&D game though, and she keeps forcing him over when she comes to play. Thanks to their parents, Hazel invites him and another band member to join them in their own game.

If you read Kristy’s other two D&D themed novels, you may also recognize a few familiar faces who make a cameo in this book. I am not going to say more than that, because you will have to pick it up for yourself to read more. However, I will tell you that I enjoyed this book so much I am giving it 4 stars. Rolls and Rivalry shows us what it means to truly come together as a team. For those parents out there wondering, Kristy uses romance very effectively in this young adult novel, which is perfect for teens and adults alike who do not like the spicier books available or do not want their teens reading them. You also do not need to have read Dungeons and Drama or Dating and Dragons to read this novel, but you may want to when you finish this one.

So friends, grab this one on May 5th from your favorite independent bookseller. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. Also, if you are a D&D fan, let me know what you are currently playing or what your favorite character you have played is.

Happy Reading!