"This feel-good, queer coming-of-age story will circulate well in libraries with diverse young fantasy and Dungeons & Dragons fans."—School Library Journal
“A coming-of-age tale and queer love story that offers a thoughtful look at the fear of being different.”—Kirkus Reviews
“Weaving themes of queer identity, the power of found family, and finding strength to challenge conservative thinking in a small town, this fun, humorous, and empowering novel will charm sapphic romance fans.”—Booklist
"I read this book in one sitting and adored every second of it. This joyous, loving book is the perfect blend of nerd culture and rom-com goodness. M. K. England maxed out their charisma and wisdom stats and rolled twenties every throw while writing this book!"—Beth Revis, New York Times Bestselling author of Night of the Witch
"England's newest novel is perfect for readers in search of charming second-chance romance and queer found-family, and all the TTRPG puns. An endearing romance full of hope, pining, and potential TPKs, Roll for Love is a critical hit."—Linsey Miller, author of What We Devour and Prince of Song & Sea
"Calling all queer kids: Welcome to the Gay Barn, where you can roll for romance and claim the space to be exactly who you are! By turns tender, funny, romantic, and poignant, Roll for Love is exactly the book I wish I’d had when I was growing up bi and confused in a small rural southern town. It's perfect for fans of The No-Girlfriend Rule, Becky Albertalli, and Dungeons & Dragons. I absolutely loved it."—Jamie Pacton, bestselling, award-winning author of The Absinthe Underground, The Vermilion Emporium, and Furious
"M. K. England invites you to the gaming table in this thoughtful, joyous, delightfully nerdy romance. Roll For Love perfectly captures the unique magic that happens when we step into character—and into our truths. So many queer kids are going to feel seen by this book."—Christen Randall, bestselling author of The No-Girlfriend Rule
"Roll for Love is full of table-top adventure, sapphic swoons, and honest explorations of rural queerness. England's lovable cast and dynamic gameplay sequences will have you wishing you were in the gay barn rolling dice too. I couldn't stop smiling from start to finish!"—Rosiee Thor, author of Tarnished are the Stars
"Reading M.K.'s writing always feels like the gentlest and warmest hand on your shoulder. This novel delivers a joyful vision of the future for queer country kids everywhere. Longtime D&D fans and newcomers alike will love this cozy adventure!"—Zachary Sergi, author of Heroes Rise, Major Detours, and This Pact Is Not Ours
"Hold onto your dice and prepare to be charmed, nerd-friends! Roll for Love is the tabletop gaming romance you've been waiting for—a sweet, joyful tribute to dungeons, dragons, and small-town queer life. If there's queer tabletop gamer teen in your life, they need this book!"—James L. Sutter, co-creator of the Pathfinder and Starfinder Roleplaying Games
★ 3/14/2025
Gr 7 Up—Harper's senior year is starting out rough. Her grandfather and woodworking inspiration has died, and her mom, who is barely speaking to her, has moved them out of Portland, away from all her friends, and into her grandfather's old farmhouse. But when Harper runs into Ollie, the neighbor girl she had a crush on when they were younger, who is gorgeous, bi, and has a group of queer Dungeons & Dragons-playing friends who want to use Harper's barn for sessions, things start to look up. With scenes that jump between senior year and the world of the game, months go by, and the barn becomes a haven for the group to explore aspects of life they struggle with. Like Ollie and coming out to her family. Or Brooks and his home life. Or Harper and her feelings for Ollie. This adds depth and complexity to the supporting cast and adds emotional weight to crucial core conflicts like Harper's struggle over whether to go to college or not. The ending fully embraces small-town living and will have fans of England's other works just as enamored with this one. VERDICT This feel-good, queer coming-of-age story will circulate well in libraries with diverse young fantasy and Dungeons & Dragons fans.—Jolie Hanlon
2024-12-14
Two high school students wrestle with keeping secrets from their families.
Harper’s life is thrown into upheaval when her mom moves them from Portland, Oregon, to small-town Clintville, Virginia. Uprooted for the last year of high school while navigating a strained relationship with her mother and mourning her grandfather’s death, Harper feels hopeful when she reconnects with childhood friend and crush Ollie. Both girls have secrets eating away at them: Harper doesn’t know how to tell her mother that she doesn’t want to go to college, and Ollie is terrified of the judgment she’d receive if she came out as bi. Harper finds solace in fixing up her grandfather’s old woodshop, where they spent happy summers together, and Ollie’s “extremely gay D&D group” joins in to help. Dungeons & Dragons sessions in the newly dubbed Gay Barn quickly become a safe way for the pair to explore their attraction through their characters, barbarian Aspen Wildeye and paladin Lyra Mythriniel. While Harper and Ollie dance around their feelings, Aspen and Lyra engage in overt courtship. The white teens offer loving portrayals of young people defying societal norms, and their difficulties manage to be gut-wrenching without crossing the line into a spiral of unhappiness. Brief peeks at the adventures of Aspen and Lyra inject action into an otherwise contemplative narrative, keeping the pace from plodding.
A coming-of-age tale and queer love story that offers a thoughtful look at the fear of being different. (author’s note, resources)(Romance. 14-18)
