Rolls & Rivalry

Gaming and Romance #3

by Kristy Boyce, Susanne Seidita (Translator), Meritxell Janina Piel (Translator)

Rivalen im Leben, Verbündete im Spiel – aber was, wenn der Einsatz das eigene Herz ist?

Hazels Abschlussjahr verspricht, episch zu Kurz vor Ferienende wird sie in ihrer Marching Band zum Performance-Leader ernannt und will noch ein letztes Mal durchstarten. Doch ihr Plan gerät ins Wanken, als Max – ihr ehemaliger bester Freund und langjähriger Crush – mit Drumsticks in der Hand und einer unerklärlichen Feindseligkeit in die Stadt zurückkehrt. Schnell stellt sich Er ist nicht mehr der unschuldige Lockenkopf, der er mal war. 
Jedes Mal, wenn Hazel und Max zusammen sind, können sie nicht anders, als sich zu streiten – aber dank ihrer Eltern ist Max gezwungen, Teil der neuen D&D-Gruppe zu werden. Als Dungeon Master ist sie bereit, ihn fertig zu machen, doch gerade, als die Würfel fallen, kommt das altbekannte Kribbeln zurück … 

Genres: Romance, Young Adult, Contemporary, Contemporary Romance, Fiction, Young Adult Romance, Dungeons and Dragons

Kindle Edition

Expected publication May 5, 2026

About the author

Kristy Boyce lives in Columbus, OH and teaches psychology as a senior lecturer at The Ohio State University.

When she’s not spending time with her husband and son, she’s usually writing, reading, putting together fairy gardens, or watching happy reality TV (The Great British Bake-Off and So You Think You Can Dance are perennial favorites).

Kristy is the social media coordinator for Central and Southern Ohio SCBWI.

Reviews

[ivy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

after thinking about it, i decided to raise my rating to 4 stars because this was SO CUTE 😭💗 (is 2026 going to be the year for me?!?) i felt like i was getting wrapped in a warm hug the entire time 🥹 THIS is what YA romances should strive to be — adorable, nostalgic, fun, and a little bit cheesy are all you need

’rolls and rivalry’ follows max and hazel, two members of the marching band.. but they’re in different sections that hate each other. when they meet again when max moves back to hazel’s city, their personalities clash, which is just fueled by their sections’ feud in band. throughout the book, we follow their journey in getting to know each other again. and let me say firsthand it was so cute! 💛 the book starts when they’re in a band camp over the summer and the vibes that that camp already gave off was amazing. having water balloon fights, playing childish games together, etc. warmed my heart. this book gave me such a pure sense of nostalgia and a yearning for the “american highschool experience”.

there were several moments that were cringy (e.g. the fmc saying “omigod” multiple times) but honestly, when i think about this book, the overall sentiment is pure happiness — so i’m willing to overlook those instances.

but overall, this was such a cute and fun book! i’m definitely going to be reading all of Kristy boyce’s backlist now 🫶🏻

thank you so much to netgalley for providing me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹ ﹒ ⁺ ﹒ ⊹

ᝰ ⋆ ── preread ✶
time for a cute romance in the midst of all these depressing reads ! and i have the honor of reading this with my beautiful girl rei 💛.

thank you to netgalley for providing me this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

[rei ‧₊˚✩彡 · Rating 4 out of 5]

╰┈➤4 stars!

alexa play ruin the friendship by taylor swift 💛✨🫧🥹

kristy boyce did it for the 3rd time around, y’all! can someone just please play D&D with me? this is just screaming YA vibes and i’m so sat for it! so excited for this to be out because it’s such a great book, i’m not even kidding!

୨ৎ hazel. she’s the eldest daughter, and i am too. i feel like that says enough already but, oh my gosh, i feel so seen. the pressure she feels is so real, and i truly can relate to her to another level!

୨ৎ max. i understand him for acting like a jerk, honestly. i’m just glad he redeemed himself before i fully turned my back on him and dislike him forever. he has his own struggles, and you’ll truly understand him once you get the full context as to “why” he acts the way he is.

hazel and max are honestly the cutest! the way she describes how max looks at him, i knew that he was down bad for her and is only hiding it behind the bets they make! i looooove high school romances so much because it’s just so adorable and endearing, you know? the little hope you get when you see them looking at you, when they interact with you, and just basically everything in between!

this book is just the perfect book for anyone who puts way too much pressure on themselves because of the fear of disappointing the people around them. it gives such a message on how it affects us, and our relationships with the people we don’t want to disappoint.

life doesn’t end after high school, and it’s okay to not win everything. high school is high school, live in it but don’t make your world revolve around it. give yourself time to have fun with your friends, and not be all serious with the extra-curricular activities. in the end, it’s meant to really give us a break from the academics we do! 💛✨

Thank you so much to NetGalley, Random House, and the author for the ARC in exchange of my honest review!

・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・。・

pre-read:

my first ever buddy read with ivy bb 🥹💛 i saw that she got the e-arc for this as well and just messaged her and ask if she wants to br it 🤭 fortunately, she agreed to read it with me so here we are! ✨🫧 i really enjoyed the first two books of this series and i hope that we’ll both enjoy this one too ✨🤞🏼💛

[jae · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars 𐙚 ˙ ˖
as someone who was in band in high school, this was such a comforting and nostalgic read 🥹 it’s bittersweet to be reminded of how simple life was back then, with all the silly rivalries and heart-fluttering crushes. highly recommend to anyone looking for a light read with wholesome characters <3

ⓘ thank you to netgalley and random house for the arc!

[Berry ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚ (Updating Reviews!) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to Kristy Boyce, Random House Children's Books, and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review! Rolls and Rivalry releases on May 5th!

Overall Rating: 5 / 5 ⭐
Spice Rating: 0 / 5 (It's YA!)

Did I stay up until 3am to finish reading this? Yes. Yes I did.

Rolls and Rivalry was suuuuuch a heartwarming, nerdy, fun read that transported me back to high school.
As a former marching band kid, and a lover of Dungeons and Dragons, I knew this book would be right up my alley! Kristy Boyce truly showcased her knowledge of both worlds in this one!

Hazel, our FMC, is sooo resonant of people pleasing eldest daughters who just want to make their parents proud. I felt like I could relate to her so easily.
And Max, our MMC, starts off acting like... well, a jerk, due to his own issues. But he quickly becomes such a sweetheart once things finally kicked off.

Reading about these two butting heads, competing against eachother, wanting eachother to lose... Then slowly rekindling their friendship, falling in love, and rooting for eachother to win and do their best? That was such amazing progression. It all felt so organic and so heartfelt.

I cannot forget about the friendship and relationships made between the side characters! Hazel's friends and the rest of the colorguard were so sweet. It lowkey made me miss my old section back when I was in marching band too.
Also, the cameos from the other books in this series? I was so happy to see past characters returning.

Overall.. Such a good book. I can't wait to see what else Kristy Boyce has in store for us readers!

♡ pre-read ♡

I was OVERJOYED when I received this ARC. This series is the cutest. Can't wait to dig in!

[Noi (in & out)]

Yes please.

[Starr ❇✌❇]

I WAS JUST WONDERING IF WE WERE GOING TO GET ANOTHER DND ROMANCE
I literally didn't even read the synopsis before smashing that "request arc" button
edit the bat????? this cover is such a treat 😭😭😭😭😭😭

[bailey (bibliophilebailey) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟

I am a huge fan of Kristy Boyce's work. So, I knew going in to this book that I was going to like it. I was nervous about the marching band premise as that is not something that interested me in high school, or now to be honest. HOWEVER, I was pleasantly surprised. I loved this book so much!! My words never do a book justice. No words can describe Kristy Boyce's ability to capture the essence of high school love. Her work instantly sends me back to those feelings and the way everything felt so much more intense than it truly was. I'm sure Hazel felt like her life was ending going through that book, but from an outside perspective it's just normal high school things!
Anyways, I fell in love with this book and DEVOURED it. I truly could not put it down. This book has a little bit of every trope. Friends to Lovers, Forced Proximity, Rivals to Lovers, the list just goes on really. As always, I love reading about characters playing D&D because it is such an underrated past time and it really adds to the romantic elements of the stories!
ALSOOOOO the Dating and Dragons cameo made me so excited. LOVED THAT!

Thank you to Random House Children's Books and Delacorte Romance for this e-ARC!! 🎲🩷🌟

[Brecken]

YYYYYYYEEEEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHH

[Andi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like to thank NetGalley and the publisher for allowing me an early read.

It's so refreshing and nice to see a YA nerdy and cute story / series come out from this author. Each book gets better when it comes to characters, teen angst, D&D fun (without it sounded to obvious/easy). Books like this make me wish they were around when I was looking through the YA section for something to read.

I loved Hazel. I found her situation very authentic - she's a people pleaser and she also wants to feel like she has some self independence. Her confusion when it comes to Max, who is going through a lot regarding his mom and dad's divorce, gives some leverage to why he is acting distant and moody.

I loved seeing the previous characters from the other series show up or be mentioned!

I really recommend this series for the age group that it is written for. I can't wait to recommend this to some D&D teens I know!

[&#x1f342; emma &#x1f342; · Rating 3 out of 5]

age rating: 12+
spice: none
language: 0.5/5

i was absolutely thrilled to be approved for the arc, but i sadly didn’t love this book as much as i anticipated. the pacing felt wonky and for me it often read as a middle grade novel rather than the YA book it’s marketed as. however, the character cameos made me smile!!

the story followed hazel, a senior in high school desperate to prove herself in her final year of participating in the color guard. i loved the friendships that were created within the group, and their overall dynamic was enjoyable to read. this poor girl though—her over-controlling and pressuring mother was ticking even ME off. 💀

max—the MMC acted jerky for the majority of the book and despite his and hazel’s history, i found myself not wanting to root for him at all. his behavior was just something i couldn’t look past. minor spoiler: even after him and hazel were romantically involved, he ended up being guilty of something that hurt her credibility and reputation. like—dude??

there were definitely some cute moments, but overall the romance felt very underdeveloped. i get that guard and band were important plot lines for these characters, but there really weren’t that many scenes that strengthened their relationship in the romantic sense.

i liked how out of the three books in the series, this one went into more depth regarding D&D. as someone who’s not familiar with the game outside of stranger things, i feel like i understand it a bit more. 😂

thank you netgalley for providing me with an e-arc copy!!

🎵: long live - taylor swift
seems like old times - laufey
teenage dream - olivia rodrigo

[Leanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars! Thank you to NetGalley, Delacorte Press, and Random House Children's Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up Rolls and Rivalry on May 5, 2026.

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: Kristy Boyce is the queen of adorable YA nerdy D&D romances. Every time I pick up one of her books, I just sigh in relief because it feels so familiar and comforting and RELATABLE. Maybe that's a symptom of these books being set in the Midwest, too, because every time she manages to inject just enough original Midwestern experiences into the books that it feels like coming home.

But at the core of Rolls and Rivalry is a strained mother-daughter relationship, a new friend/mentee relationship, and a sizzling second-chance romance with an old crush who moved away and just moved back. Hazel, our perfectionist eldest daughter, is doing her best to succeed in her senior year marching band season, matching her mother's high school success. Said mother also excels as a D&D Dungeon Master, something Hazel has been thinking about doing for years but has never had a group to try it with. Enter Max, a former childhood friend turned hottie nerd.

Seeing Hazel and Max rekindle their relationship over D&D was adorable, especially given the tension between their two groups in marching band. Even when butting heads, you can tell both characters care about one another and wish things could go back to the way they were as kids, even as they've grown up and evolved over the years.

Hazel also had a heartwarming relationship with her new color guard member, Li, who also joined her D&D group. The little/big sister dynamic and Hazel showing her the ropes just solidified how Kristy excels with multiple types of relationships in her books. I always find myself rooting for these moments as much as the romantic tension!! It just makes Hazel feel like a true, well-rounded character who's dealing with other issues outside of her connection to Max.

Overall, if you love adorable YA romances with D&D nerds, band geeks, and wonderful character relationships, this is your book!

[Kate Willis]

I CAN'T WAIT. 😍

[sophie mae · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had such a fun time reading this book! It was a delight and truly captured the essence of high school romance. Kristy Boyce is such a lovely pick-me-up YA author. I have thoroughly enjoyed reading her d&d series!!! This book combines d&d with marching band/color guard, which was so fun to read about. I enjoyed the premise of childhood friends to 'strangers' to friends again to lovers! It was too cute!!!!

I adored both characters, but Hazel took the cake for me. She was such a fun, caring, and kind fmc! I also just adored the nerdy vibes in this one, very cute.

Thank you so much, NetGalley, Delacorte Romance/Random House Children's Books, for an early copy in exchange for my honest review!

[Genevieve (GenLikesToRead)]

These covers are all so iconic. Somehow each one is better than the last!

[Allison • Alli’s Fairy Tales · Rating 4 out of 5]

Adjusted Rating: 3.75 stars!!!
POV: 1st Person / Single
Book Spice: None

Content Thoughts:

This had a really fun concept, but the execution felt a little more surface level than I was hoping for.

I enjoyed getting a glimpse into the Dungeons & Dragons gaming world, which added a unique angle to the story and is my favorite part of this series.

The band and color guard representation was another strong point for me. I especially liked following the color guard’s growth, their challenges, and the competition aspects.

That said, I struggled a bit with connecting emotionally to the romance. I wish there had been a more grounded buildup early on so I could really sink into the characters and feel the chemistry develop. There were a few cute moments that made me smile, and those helped once the story started to pick up, but I wanted more of them overall.

The pacing at the beginning also threw me off. It took a while to understand the time period we were in. The story is set in Ohio in August, and I would have liked a bit more of the school setting to anchor the story. At times, the structure of events felt surface level, which made it harder for the emotional moments to fully land.

Book 2 , “Dating and Dragons”, remains my favorite book in this series. 🤭

Overall, this was a sweet, enjoyable read with some charming elements, especially as it went on, but I found myself wanting deeper character development and a stronger romantic payoff.

Thank you Delacorte Romance for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kristy has a way of capturing that feeling of being a teenager. Having parents who love you, but you still find SO annoying. When your friends are your world and make you feel seen. When having a crush feels like your heart is exploding and you can barely look at them without becoming an embarrassing mess.

This book is sweet and the characters are so adorably nerdy, just like I’ve come to expect. Plus there are cameos that had me kicking my feet to see some of my favorite characters again.

Hazel is starting her senior year as the color guard caption. But to her surprise, her old friend who moved away, Max, has come back and joined this for percussion team. Max who she spent Saturday nights with while their parents played D&D. Max who she secretly had a crush on and was devastated to see move away.

Max isn’t who Hazel remembers and the two can’t stop trying to one up each other. But some of those old feelings can’t help but linger.

[Daisy Deetz · Rating 4 out of 5]

“You won me over when I was twelve. I’ve just been waiting for you to notice.”

I have absolutely loved this authors previous books and Rolls and Rivalry is no different. Following Hazel navigate through her senior year marching season as color guard captain with the weight of her parent’s band legacy on her shoulders when she is reunited with Max, a childhood friend and crush. Get off on the wrong foot she decides Max is like all the other jerks in percussion and vows to hate him the rest of the year. All that changes when their parents force them into a D&D campaign together.

I absolutely loved this book. All the characters felt full fledged and like real people I would have interacted with in high school. I loved that Hazel had a complicated relationship with competition and how that affected her relationship with not only her parents but also with Max. I loved the pre established friendship with Max and Hazel and how that naturally turned into romantic feelings it felt natural and realistic.

Thank you NetGalley for the E-arc.

[Juli ₊˚ෆ]

OH MY GOD THERES ANOTHER ONEEEE

[Celia]

MOST ANTICIPATED BOOK OF THE YEAR

[Cora ༄ {once upon a broken heart} · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher,and Kristy Boyce for the free arc in exchange for an honest review!

—————————————⚔️—————————————

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

—————————————🎲—————————————

Tw: Kissing, divorce, minor swearing

—————————————🐉—————————————

🏰- This book was so cute! Kristy Boyce is amazing at writing these D&D romances because they are all absolutely adorable, and this was not an exception!!

🧝‍♂️- The characters were so fun! Hazel and Max were amazing characters to read about and I loved them together! I also loved all the side characters! Nova and her dog were so funny, and Li was such a sweetheart too! I definitely did NOT like Brody though!!

🔮- The romance was great in this book! I loved reading about Max and Hazel, they were TOO CUTE! When they were in the forest together… love them so much.

🧌- I loved the nerdy aspects of these books! Reading about not only dungeons and dragons but also the plot in the marching band was so much fun!!! I do wish that there had been more time spent focusing on dungeons and dragons like in the other book, because it did feel kind of overshadowed by the other things that were going on.

🗡️- Overall, this book was so fun! It was a super cute and easy read, and was altogether super enjoyable! I did prefer the other books over this one, but that isn’t saying too much since I LOVED THEM ALL SO MUCH!

———Definitely go read this when it comes out!———

[Holly Bevans · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book was such a delight! I’ve loved every installment in this series, and once again, I found myself unable to put it down. There’s just something so magical about the mix of D&D adventures, heartwarming friendships, and swoony romance that keeps me completely hooked from start to finish.

Max and Hazel were absolutely adorable together! I’m so glad they mended their friendship early on, it made watching their relationship grow even more rewarding. That forest scene had me absolutely dying (in the best way)!! The chemistry, the tension, the sweetness… everything about it rolled a natural 20 for me.

I also really connected with Hazel’s journey to make her mom proud. That pressure to live up to expectations hit close to home. I definitely felt that in high school, trying to do everything “right.” Seeing Hazel’s parents express pride and unconditional love at the end was so touching.

And I have to shout out Li and Nova <3 They’re the kind of supportive party members every adventurer deserves loyal, funny, and always there when it counts.

One more thing, loved seeing past characters show up in this book! Please know I was screaming with joy!!!

Overall, this book was a critical hit! I can’t wait to see what this series rolls out next.

[thebookishhalfling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hazel’s childhood friend (and crush) Max just moved back to town before their senior year. Excited to rekindle their friendship and maybe play some D&D, Hazel’s hopes are dashed when Max gives her the cold shoulder. To make matters worse their sections in the marching band do not get along at all.

Rolls and Rivalry was pretty cute! I love a good wholesome YA romance. I loved all the D&D aspects, and thought the color-guard character building as a team was really fun. Max and Hazel’s path from rivals to friends to more was really sweet. I did find the band rivalry to be a bit overdone and annoying but I was never in band so couldn’t really relate. I liked that the focus wasn’t just on the romance but also Hazel’s relationship with her mom, her team, and friends.

Overall a really adorable YA romance that wasn’t overly angsty (just a little)!

3.75/5 rounded up to 4.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s books for the advanced copy.

[Pand Milo · Rating 5 out of 5]

how does she keep getting away with this... like ANOTHER amazing one!!!!!

anyway it was so good, i hope she keeps writing these forever because i will read them every. single. time!!!

and i want all my friends to read this so if you're my friend and you see this please read kristy boyce's dungeons and dragons romances (preferably starting with Dungeons and Drama), thanks! :)

[Callie Rae]

where can I get an arc for this? seriously i have enjoyed this series so much and need this next book.

[Bevany · Rating 4 out of 5]

a fun playful ya romance for band nerd and geeks alike. I really liked the character growth and friendships showcased throughout this book.
perfect for dnd romance fans.

[Devan Rustia · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with all the other books in this series, I absolutely ATE THIS UP! I love the plot, the characters, the writing style, everything! This series is so nostalgic, even though this has practically nothing in common with me when I was in high school. But I still enjoyed reading this so much. I have had the best time reading this series, and this book is no exception.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for this ARC. It was definitely my favorite read from January.

[Kate (BloggingwithDragons) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received this book for free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
Actual rating: 2.5 stars, rounded to 3

Whenever I see another entry in Kristy Boyce's "Gaming and Romance," I don't need to roll for initiative—I'm reading it. I have been hooked on this series since the very first one, Dungeons and Drama. So I was really excited to see what kind of new Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) romance Boyce had cooked up, as all of them effortlessly capture the unique charm of  the game and the people who enjoy it. Though it’s a cute and cozy romance with great geeky references sprinkled in, Rolls and Rivalry was my least favorite of the three books. It just didn’t work quite as well for me as the others.

The thing that I did not care for the most was how Dungeons & Dragons was implemented. The focus of Rolls and Rivalry was definitely on color guard and marching band, not D&D. That's not a problem for me, but it was definitely a departure from the previous books in the series that I wasn't expecting. I was happy to read in the author's note that Boyce was in in color guard herself, so the book comes from actual lived-in experience, which always adds to the feeling of authenticity. Even though this was clearly a big part of Boyce's life, the D&D aspect of Rolls and Rivalry felt forced and kind of tacked on to me. It felt like more of an afterthought or of a checking off of the requirement to be a part of the series than an actual fully developed part of the book. There is a campaign that happens eventually in the book, but the first implementation of the game is when main character Hazel, senior and captain of the color guard, has the members of color guard create characters for a hypothetical campaign. 

I understand that this Hazel's attempt at building rapport and teamwork with members of the color guard in the best way she knew how, but it just felt very contrived because she had never even played D&D herself. I had a bit of trouble suspending my disbelief at the idea of people who weren't already interested in D&D agreeing to take part in this activity, at least with any actual enthusiasm. It was believable in the first book, Dungeons and Drama (which is still my favorite), because the main character was a theater kid, and the acting and storytelling was right up her alley. Obviously, I am ancient and have not been in high school for a long time—so I may be completely out of touch—but I was fairly skeptical of the idea of anyone wanting to be called by their character name in a public setting—let alone in high school—it seems akin to social suicide to me. Since the color guard is already butting heads with percussion, and even locked into a bet against them with fairly high stakes, I would think Hazel and the color guard crew would want to avoid giving percussion any more ammunition to use against them. 

My favorite part of the implementation of D&D was Hazel’s struggle to learn how to be a Dungeon Master. I feel like it's very relatable to not know exactly how to prepare for your first D&D campaign, let alone trying to figure out how to be the DM your very first time playing. Though I enjoyed watching Hazel figure it out, it was odd to me that Hazel’s parents were so into D&D and they never invited their kid into it, especially since her mother is the DM of the group. You think she would have been allowed to at least participate in the campaign or a new one to teach her the rules once she got older. But no, as a kid, she’s forced to sit upstairs alone with Max, the son of her parents’ friend. When Max moves back into town during Hazel’s senior year, that’s exactly what happens again.

“When did we go from being best friends to this, Max? Why don't you start with that. Because I was heartbroken when you moved away, and it seems like you're heartbroken to be back.”

It’s a little complicated because Max, though her childhood friend, is a member of the mortal enemies of the color guard—percussion. So it takes some convincing for her other friends to want to hang out with him for fun, let alone do their first D&D campaign ever with him, but Hazel manages to convince them.  I’ve seen countless times in stories about D&D that people end up falling for the person roleplaying as their characters' love interests. I’m still hoping for Boyce to implement that in one of her books in this series. I think that is another angle that could have worked really well in Rolls and Rivalry to integrate the parents' friendship, conflict about Max's parents, and D&D. If Hazel and Max had to work together in their D&D campaign, for instance—maybe they were split off from the other characters, and got in a dicey situation where romantic vibes spilled over—it could have worked to move D&D into the forefront. Another option is that maybe the parents kicked out Hazel and Max for arguing and that is the impetus to making their own campaign. Since they're always duking it out, Hazel and Max could have competed to see who could recruit more people to the campaign from color guard and percussion or challenged each other over who was DM. Then, that tension could have transferred over into the color guard and percussion until their classmates started to suspect there was something more going on between Max and Hazel than just rivalry. Instead, it just felt to me like D&D was a box that needed to be checked, and there were countless other ways that it could have been implemented more organically within the narrative framework. It felt like trying to fit D&D into a color guard book than color guard into a D&D book, so to speak. Any of these hypothetical scenarios would have felt a little more natural to me then the kind of “world peace” between the color guard and percussion angle that was taken and implemented with little pushback from those involved.

“Anyway, when we are here, we aren't representing color guard or percussion or clarinets. We're not band members at all….We’re just five people who are going to role-play some characters, fight some monsters and hopefully have a good time.”

A lot of the other conflicts in Rolls and Rivalry felt unconvincing to me too. I realize these characters are in high school, so issues are obviously not going to be as serious with teenagers. But I think to high schoolers, it is that big of a deal, so the book should spend a certain amount of time on issues that crop up. But any kind of disagreement that is introduced is resolved far too quickly, like a bit of a sitcom. I'm going to try to keep this fairly vague to avoid spoilers, but, in one scene, Hazel has a long-awaited confrontation with another character. Hazel finally says something to express her displeasure with this character and she has an internal moment of, “wow, I cannot believe I was this disrespectful and spoke to her like that.” Instead of this being framed as a huge moment of character development for Hazel, the confronted character isn't at all defensive or surprised. In fact, she instantly agrees with Hazel. Then she says she’s “sorry if” she made Hazel’s experience worse rather than better. (Sidenote: A significant amount of the apologies in this book were written as non-apologies and had me cringing. “Sorry if I made you feel that way,” is not actually taking accountability and I was aghast that all of the characters treated these exchanges as legitimate apologies.) This confrontation that was built up throughout Rolls and Rivalry was completely over a few paragraphs later with no hard feelings or repercussions whatsoever, so that was a bit of a letdown. Characters simply need to stew in their feelings longer for bigger emotional payoff.

“It's impossible to hate you, Hazel. Believe me, I've tried.”

Other similar conflicts between characters are also finished almost as soon as they're brought up, so it was hard for me to feel any concern or investment when I knew it would all work out with relative ease. Readers who are looking for uncomplicated happy endings will enjoy this, but I wanted to feel some more tension. It didn't help matters for me that the other big disagreement of the book between Max and Hazel felt very unnecessary and like drama for drama's sake in the eleventh hour. I think a better source of conflict between the two would have been if they had bonded through playing in their parents’ D&D campaign together or even if Max had tried to take over Hazel's position as the DM. That would have added a different component to their rivalry rather than just their public performance as rivals from color guard and percussion, and given the book a stronger reason for tying in D&D at all. It would have felt less like D&D window dressing and more like actual D&D plot. 

Regardless of how well D&D was implemented in a series revolving around D&D related romances, I did think Hazel was a relatable character. Her feelings of perfectionism and pressure from her parents are both things with which a lot of readers will be able to sympathize. The romance between Max and Hazel was sweet too. There is some cute banter that will surely have plenty of readers squealing and kicking their heels. Maybe I'm just jaded, but Max and Hazel’s relationship felt lower stakes to me than that of the couples in the other books. It just felt more puppy-love and surface-level to me, with less to lose than if things didn't work out between them. It's senior year after all, so if they don't work out romantically, readers can assume they'll just go their separate ways. Perhaps because I'm so into the “will-they-won’t-they” push and pull, that there simply wasn't enough suspense to go around. With everything being resolved so easily, there just wasn't much doubt in my mind that they'd end up together. Maybe another character competing for Hazel's heart in the color guard might have helped add some more doubt about Hazel and Max ending up together—or maybe I'm just really into messiness and high stakes and that just isn't here.

I know there are plenty of readers who will enjoy the straightforward high school romance, with some competitive streaks thrown in for some added flavoring. I guess I just want to suffer more along the way. Because of how the main conflict boils down to “I can’t have feelings for my childhood crush because he’s in percussion and I’m in color guard and no one will approve,” I do think Rolls and Rivalry reads like it is for a younger audience than the other novels. However, it has been a little while since I read the other books in the series, so my memory might be a little hazy.  Nevertheless, I simply didn’t care for Hazel and Max's relationship as much as I did with the other couples' relationships in the other books, even though its got some heartwarming moments. I guess it's no surprise that I really liked that the characters from the other entries in the series made cameos in this book. It was a really fun easter egg and one returning fans of the series will enjoy as well. 

I also loved all of the references to other nerdy things like Catan and The Lord of the Rings. I'm a sucker for nerdy references during flirty, and like all of the books in this series, Boyce works them in a way that feels ordinary and special at the same time. It’s easy to see that the author is a true fan of all of the things she highlight in her novels and it’s delightful to see them mentioned so nonchalantly and naturally. Likewise, I think people who were in marching band or color guard will also really enjoy this representation. I had a lot of friends in the marching band in high school and they always looked forward to band camp, which was always referenced as a special bonding time that was remembered fondly. Maybe times have changed, but I remembered those same friends groaning in frustration whenever they brought up those memories only for someone to inevitably utter the words, “One time at band camp….” Boyce has done the band and color guard kids everywhere a service by giving an actual, positive account of what it was like to be a part of those camps and the community that grew from it. The true star of this book is truly the color guard, and that's when it shines the most. Ultimately, Rolls and Rivalry could have worked without D&D, but it couldn't have worked without color guard and percussion. With that expectation in mind, there's plenty here for readers to enjoy.

Though Rolls and Rivalry didn’t work as well for me as the other novels in the series, it was still a light and fun read with familiar elements that I enjoyed. I was always happy to pick the book back up. Though I do wish the novel hadn’t pushed D&D into the background as much and had more of a serious major conflict, I do think the series as a whole is still really inspired and clearly a labor of love for the author. I am always excited to see in what new ways Boyce has implemented D&D and nerd culture into her books, and I hope she'll keep writing more!

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[Elyssa]

i am so ridiculously excited about this

[em · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thanks to NetGalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. 3.5. Better than Dating & Dragons, but not even CLOSE to as good as Dungeons & Drama

[Teresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to NetGalley, Random House Children's, Delacorte Press, and Kristy Boyce for the opportunity to read Rolls and Rivalry in exchange for an honest review.

Rolls and Rivalry is the third installment to the Gaming and Romance series. While you do not have to read them in order to enjoy them, as each book follows a different cast of main characters, there are some little fun cameos. This is noticeable for fans, but not necessary for a new reader of the series to thoroughly enjoy the novel as an individual entity.

The novel follows the first-person perspective of Hazel, a girl in her senior year and Color Guard captain. Her family expects her Guard to be the best, with high expectations of her own winnings. They have always clashed with the percussion section of the band, and the back-and-forth rivalry is so intense, it could easily be called bullying at one point.

Enter Max, Hazel's childhood friend who moved away without a word in Middle School, only to return for senior year as a member of the percussion section. He doesn't seem like the same Max he was before he moved, and she is certainly not the same Hazel. Their rivalry is infuriating, but eventually, Hazel DM's (DM=Dungeon Master) a Dungeons & Dragons campaign, featuring her best friend Nora, Guard freshmen Li, sophomore Felix, and none other than Max. Hazel and Max's moms are best friends, so what would they expect?

It's a rivalry turned romance, once Hazel and Max fess up to their own feelings, but if the Guard and percussion found out...sparks would fly. Thus, it must remain a secret!

While Dungeons and Drama is still my favorite, this one hits all the spots in a more unique way. How many people write about Color Guard? This was an extra fun one for me because it brought me back to my Color Guard days. I adore the covers of these books. Take a moment to look at all the details. When you read the book, be sure to look back at the cover for new insights!

I love the writing style. The pacing felt a bit slower than previous novels, but I believe that is because Color Guard and Band are a major focus for the characters, and the Dungeons & Dragons aspect doesn't really pick up until a bit later. It is fun to see Hazel grow as a leader, both in Color Guard and as a DM as she learns the needs of those around her. All elements of this novel are fun, from band, friendship, games, and rivalry. Rolls and Rivalry is certainly a fun one for teen readers. If you haven't you must also read Dungeons and Drama and Dating and Dragons for more high school D&D romantic adventures.