Review Detail

The story, Rolls and Rivalry, earns superior scoring in the genre of clean YA romance. Kristy Boyce perfectly captures band camp and high school competitions. Hazel is the color guard captain, and Max is a friend from long ago who is back in town and great in the percussion section. Only problem is that, between trouble at home and the feud between percussion and color guard, Max is not eager to play nice with Hazel. With the help of forced proximity, playing Dungeons and Dragons, old feelings are rekindled.
The character development is well done. Hazel’s concerns, reactions, high expectations, and growing pains into adulthood are relatable. Part of this story was with an audiobook, and the narrators capture their personalities perfectly.
Overall, this was a fun, clean romance. I loved the scene where characters from Boyce’s other D&D books have a cameo. As an older reader, this has me feeling nostalgic for high school, and I wasn’t even in the band. Fans of Lynn Painter should check out these books as well.