ARC/ALC Book Review: Rolls and Rivalry (Gaming and Romance #3) by Kristy Boyce

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Rating: ★★★★
Audience: YA Contemporary Romance
Length: 384 pages
Author: Kristy Boyce
Publisher: Delacorte Romance
Release Date: May 5th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Roll the dice, strike up the band, and get ready for a swoon-worthy summer! A charming gaming romance that blends the magic of D&D with the camaraderie of band camp–from the bestselling author of Dating and Dragons!

Hazel’s senior year at band camp is set to be epic—until Max, her childhood crush turned drum-playing troublemaker, waltzes back into town.Their sections have always been rivals, but a shared love for Dungeons & Dragons pulls them together, sparking a romance Hazel never saw coming.

Just when things feel perfect, rumors Did Max ask her out because of a lost bet? With band drama mounting and her first D&D game spiraling, Hazel must prove their love—and her leadership—are the real deal.A swoony, nerdy romance full of rivalry, redemption, and roll-the-dice chemistry from the bestselling author of Dating and Dragons!

Thank you PRH Audio for the audiobook and Get Underlined for the copy (gifted).

ADORED.

This might be my favorite of the series?? I was super into this y’all. I think it helped I had read eight fantasy books prior and really needed a contemporary break-up and this hit the spot. It was big on the nostalgia and even though I was not a band girlie it totally transported me back to high school.

I appreciated that the drama wasn’t wild. Yes, it’s a bit *high school* but it worked and made sense so I’m not going to complain about that. It’s even better that this series is true young adult and that it’s easy to hand it to the age group and not worry about the content.

The romance was sweet and genuinely went from an enemies to lovers vibe (with some childhood friendship mixed in). I liked that they bantered and bickered and how that moved into meaningful conversation and hashing out the past. It was a good show of communication.

This had the right level of D&D content without overwhelming the plot (I struggle when too much of the story is just the characters playing the game). I liked the friendships and all of the band things. It was just a genuinely great read.

Overall audience notes:

  • YA Contemporary Romance
  • Language: none
  • Romance: kisses
  • Content warnings: separated parents

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ARC Book Review: The Commons (The Commons World #1) by Rebecca Ihim

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Rating: ★★
Audience: YA Dystopian Romance
Length: 353 pages
Author: Rebecca Ihim
Publisher: DEEP Publishing
Release Date: April 28th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

You must learn to think, act, and look like everyone else or face death.

Fitting in at school just went to a whole other level.

What do you do when all your thoughts are being measured to make sure you are a common copy of everyone? What do you do when you are graded on how common you are? Your future depends on your ability to conform.

Enrolled in a 22nd-century elite school where being common is celebrated, eighteen-year-old prodigy―Shantavia Lerogaski―is seen as a threat because she is too intelligent. When her sister goes missing, she must sacrifice everything, including her intelligence, to discover the shocking truth about The Commons and save her sister before it is too late.

Despite being valedictorian, Shantavia was supposed to take a gap year, living a peaceful life free from expectations. Now, her sister has gone missing from the elite college that controls the entire world―The Commons. Now, she must find a way to enroll.

Upon arrival at the highly technologized and guarded school, Shantavia begins a series of six inhumane, deathly tests in the six study zones of The Commons. If she does not complete these tests, she will be eliminated. But eliminated to where? She doesn’t know; in fact, no student does.

Things get even more complicated when Shantavia’s fate falls into the hands of the most formidable and powerful Patron, Pesh.

She is unsure if he is a friend or foe so she must fight her dangerous attraction to him—and question everyone, including her closest friends, or risk losing everything.

Can anyone be trusted in such a system? Can Shantavia even trust herself? Will she fall for Pesh? Will she fall for someone else even more ruthless? Will he be her ruin? Or will she find a way to expose The Commons and save everyone that’s dear to her?

Enemies, lovers, betrayals, suspense, and a dash of wit and steamy tension. Enter into the highly addictive and wildly imaginative world of The Commons, where the only way to survive is to be Common.

Thank you to the published for a gifted copy.

!!!!!!!

You may wonder why there’s exclamation points as my review starter this time, it’s because WHY WERE THERE SO MANY EXCLAMATION POINTS IN THIS BOOK. For heavens sakes even when a character said they were whispering it was with *!*. And things like “Runnnnn!!!!” alongside other variations throughout.

And the quote that sent me? “His tongue grabbed my neck.” I’m sorry, WHAT. There were multiple lines like this too?? The kiss scenes were incredibly cringy and honestly the love interest seemed to be a red flag.

I was legitimately intrigued at the beginning with the idea of The Commons. I’m kind of in a dystopian mood so I thought this would fit the bill. I WAS WRONG.

This ended up being a hate read (which I haven’t done in a hot minute). I’m just flabbergasted about many of the plot choices in this book.

Overall audience notes:

  • NA Dystopian Romance
  • Language: low
  • Romance: make-outs
  • Violence: moderate
  • Content warnings: brief mention of rape (a side character), assault, near death experiences

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Book Review: What If I Never Get Over You by Paige Toon

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Rating: ★★
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 416 pages
Author: Paige Toon
Publisher: G.P. Putnam’s
Release Date: April 15th, 2025
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

One Day meets a contemporary Bridgerton in this high-drama, escapist wonder of a love story, Paige Toon’s best yet.

Three days to fall in love. Six years to try to forget.

Ellie didn’t expect to fall in love while interrailing through Europe. But she also didn’t expect to meet a man like Ash. Three blistering days in Lisbon is all it takes to form an unforgettable connection—a bond deep enough for them to scrap their itineraries and plan to meet again in Spain. But Ellie arrives late, and Ash is nowhere to be found.

Six years later, Ellie has landed her dream job working as a gardener for a viscount and viscountess on their sprawling five-hundred-year-old estate in Wales. She finds peace amongst the towering topiary hedges and colorful gardens, but her idyll is shattered when Ash crashes back into her life. And when it becomes clear why he didn’t show in Madrid, her heart breaks anew—for what the truth means for her, and for his fate.

But they have never been able to resist each another, and when the sparks of their attraction fly, Ellie’s life will catch flame. She will have to make a choice.

OH I’M ANGRY.

The more I think about this book the angrier I become (and I loved Paige Toon’s previous book…go read that one instead).

UGHHHHHH.

I got very sick and tired of the FMC, Ellie, CoNsTaNtLy telling Ash that they couldn’t be together, go be with that other woman, I don’t want my life to look like this, etc. ad nauseum. AND when she ran away (if I read another book with a woman who runs) FOR YEARS?????? OF COURSE HE’S GOING TO BE MAD AT YOU????? And with another plot point unthoughtfully tossed into the story to try to satisfy the reasoning just sent me over the edge.

He gave up way too much. Ellie is the red flag.

AND SURPISINGLY I loved the beginning??! I was totally behind the whirlwind travel romance.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: moderate
  • Romance: brief open door
  • Violence: mild
  • Content warnings: death of a sibling, sexual abuse

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ALC Book Review: Stranger Things Have Happened by Kasie West

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Rating: ★★★★.25
Audience: Contemporary Romance
Length: 352 pages
Author: Kasie West
Publisher: Saturday Books
Release Date: April 14th, 2026
Image & Other Reviews on: Goodreads

BOOK SUMMARY:

Can fake dating lead to real love? In Kasie West’s next sexy adult romcom two people must decide where the lie ends and the chemistry begins.

Sutton knows she needs therapy. After all, she’s managing her newly opened restaurant remotely while taking care of her ungrateful sick mother. Plus, her boyfriend of two years just dumped her over the phone. But does therapy with a handsome stranger, who she has to pretend to be engaged to, in order to help her friend’s struggling relationship count? Probably not. Then why did she just agree to go? Because she’s had a few too many drinks? Because this stranger, Elijah, is smug and annoying and really, really handsome? Because she feels guilty that she abandoned her best friend, Tara, after high school and this might just make up for it? Whatever the reason, she has committed to this unhinged plan.

What the hell is Sutton doing?

Helping Tara prove a point: a good therapist can tell the difference between real love and fake love. That’s what she’s doing. But as they attend their sessions, Sutton and Elijah only seem to be proving one thing—the lines between pretend desire and real desire are very blurry. This true connection forming between them is threatening to unravel everything Sutton thought she knew about family, friendship, and her own heart.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for the gifted audiobook.

THIS WAS FANTASTIC.

Oh so I’m totally here for this?? Easily my new favorite adult romance from Kasie West. I flew through this without a thought because I was smitten with the relationship between Sutton and Elijah. The chemistry burned well and I loved the small ways they started showing up for each other. I think the concept of going to therapy to see if the therapist could tell was an interesting idea and fun for the story.

It lost me a little in the second half because the spice felt ramped up unnecessarily. And I had a few thought about the third act? But it wasn’t a total bother. I’m grateful things for Tara went the way I thought they should and the growth for all of the characters [except one who I won’t name].

And Sutton’s Mom bugged me too, but I digress.

I just really loved Sutton and Elijah together. They felt like a well matched pair and it was simple to fall into their love story. I loved all of the little pieces that made this book sing.

Overall audience notes:

  • Contemporary Romance
  • Language: mild
  • Romance: 4ish+ open door
  • Violence: low
  • Content warnings: absent parent, a parent recovering from a bad car wreck

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