Here are my mini-reviews for the popular Well Met Series by Jen DeLuca. These are the books in the series that have been published so far. There’s more of them to come!
All's faire in love and war for two sworn enemies who indulge in a harmless flirtation in a laugh-out-loud rom-com from debut author Jen DeLuca.
Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?
The faire is Simon's family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn't have time for Emily's lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she's in her revealing wench's costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they're portraying?
This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can't seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.
My Review:
Well Met by Jen DeLuca was simply adorable. This sexy romp at a Renaissance Faire was delightful. The banter between Emily and Simon was bright and crisp and I loved every time they interacted. I enjoyed Simon’s dual personality, he’s a staid Faire organizer and high school English teacher most of the year, but during the Faire, he transforms into a sexy, outspoken pirate! And I loved how Emily, a reluctant participant in the Faire at first, embraced her role as a tavern wench and fully took on her role in the Faire. The chemistry between Simon and Emily is palpable and I couldn’t wait for them to figure out they needed to be together.
The author did an excellent job of making me feel like I was part of the Faire, the descriptions of the woods, the booths, and the tavern was vivid without being too wordy. And now I want to go to a Renaissance Faire!
A laugh-out-loud romantic comedy featuring kilted musicians, Renaissance Faire tavern wenches, and an unlikely love story. LibraryReads Pick
Stacey is jolted when her friends Simon and Emily get engaged. She knew she was putting her life on hold when she stayed in Willow Creek to care for her sick mother, but it's been years now, and even though Stacey loves spending her summers pouring drinks and flirting with patrons at the local Renaissance Faire, she wants more out of life. Stacey vows to have her life figured out by the time her friends get hitched at Faire next summer. Maybe she'll even find The One.
When Stacey imagined The One, it never occurred to her that her summertime Faire fling, Dex MacLean, might fit the bill. While Dex is easy on the eyes onstage with his band The Dueling Kilts, Stacey has never felt an emotional connection with him. So when she receives a tender email from the typically monosyllabic hunk, she's not sure what to make of it.
Faire returns to Willow Creek, and Stacey comes face-to-face with the man with whom she's exchanged hundreds of online messages over the past nine months. To Stacey's shock, it isn't Dex--she's been falling in love with a man she barely knows.
My Review:
I really enjoyed going back to the Renaissance Faire in Willow Grove and learning about Stacey’s story. Stacy is a Tavern Wench and is Emily’s best friend. Daniel is the manager for the band The Dueling Kilts. I liked that the author tried the Cyrano de Bergerac angle, I’m not sure she pulled it off very well in my opinion. I love Stacy and her bubbly personality, and I loved Daniel, but, their story together was not one of my favorites. But, there was plenty of Renassaiance humor and it was fun to see some of the old characters from the first book. So, I’m very glad I read this one.
A pretend relationship gives two friends more than they bargained for in a Renaissance Faire rom com filled with flower crowns, kilts, corsets, and sword fights.
Single mother April Parker has lived in Willow Creek for twelve years with a wall around her heart. On the verge of being an empty nester, she's decided to move on from her quaint little town, and asks her friend Mitch for his help with some home improvement projects to get her house ready to sell.
Mitch Malone is known for being the life of every party, but mostly for the attire he wears to the local Renaissance Faire--a kilt (and not much else) that shows off his muscled form to perfection. While he agrees to help April, he needs a favor too: she'll pretend to be his girlfriend at an upcoming family dinner, so that he can avoid the lectures about settling down and having a more "serious" career than high school coach and gym teacher. April reluctantly agrees, but when dinner turns into a weekend trip, it becomes hard to tell what's real and what's been just for show. But when the weekend ends, so must their fake relationship.
As summer begins, Faire returns to Willow Creek, and April volunteers for the first time. When Mitch's family shows up unexpectedly, April pretends to be Mitch's girlfriend again...and it doesn't feel so fake anymore. Despite their obvious connection, April insists they've just been putting on an act. But when there's the chance for something real, she has to decide whether to change her plans--and open her heart--for the kilt-wearing hunk who might just be the love of her life.
My Review:
And once again I was thrilled to be back at the Renaissance Faire in Willow Grove. I enjoyed visiting with my favorite characters from the first two books and I learn more and more about the Faire and all the characters as this series continues. In this book, we learn the story of Emily”s older sister (from the first book) April, and her story with my favorite character from all the books, Mitch Malone. Mitch is quite a character and has a large personality, but in this installment, we learn more about his past and his insecurities. April never wanted anything to do with the Faire that her daughter and sister love so much, but she can’t help but be intrigued by Mitch Malone and his big personality. For the first time, April decides to volunteer with the Faire and get more involved with the Faire folks. I just loved this fake relationship story.
NARRATION:
Brittany Pressley is the narrator for all three of the books above. I found her narration was perfect for this book, her inflections and voices allowed me to differentiate easily between the characters.
What’s Next?
You can be sure I’ll be first in line for the next book in this delightful series. Here’s what we know about the next book in the series.
Anticipated Publication Date: September 6, 2022
Synopsis: The Renaissance Faire is on the move, and Lulu and Dex are along for the ride, in the next utterly charming rom-com from Jen DeLuca.
A high-powered attorney from a success-oriented family, Louisa Lulu Malone lives to work, and everything seems to be going right, until the day she realizes it’s all wrong. Lulu’s cousin Mitch introduced her to the world of Renaissance Faires, and when she spies one at a time just when she needs an escape, she leaps into the welcoming environment of turkey legs, taverns, and tarot readers. The only drawback? Dex MacLean: a guitarist with a killer smile, the Casanova of the Faire… and her traveling companion for the summer.
Dex has never had to work for much in his life, and why should he? Touring with his brothers as The Dueling Kilts is going great, and he always finds a woman at every Faire. But when Lulu proves indifferent to his many plaid charms and a shake-up threatens the fate of the band, Dex must confront something he never has before: his future.
Forced to spend days and nights together on the road, Lulu’s interest in the kilted bad boy grows as he shows her a side of himself no one else has seen. The stresses of her old lifestyle fade away as she learns to trust her intuition and follow her heart instead of her head. But when her time on the road is over, will Lulu go with her gut, or are she and Dex destined for separate paths?
About Jen DeLuca
Jen DeLuca was born and raised in Virginia, and has recently swapped Florida for the Arizona desert, where she lives with her husband and a houseful of rescue pets.
She’s worked as an ice-show dresser, a wardrobe master, a makeup consultant, and a paralegal. She likes latte-flavored lattes, Hokies football, and the Oxford comma.
So glad to see you enjoyed this series. I sometimes doubt my judgement but it feels good to know you have enjoyed books I have recommended so far. Excellent reviews!
I think Well Played was my favorite of the series so far. April tried my patience in Well Matched, but I loved Mitch. I love Brittany Pressley as a narrator. She does the Atlee Pine books by David Baldacci. I think I’d have enjoyed the books more with her as a the narrator. Glad to see you enjoyed them, Wendy!
I loved Well Met! That whole Renaissance Faire thing really appealed to me. And I liked Well Played, though not quite as much. And I’ve got Well Matched sitting on my desk, just waiting for me to start reading it this weekend. This is such a great series. 😀
I remember when the first one came out and I thought how neat about the Renaissance faire setting. I love faires and go all the time. I’m surprised someone didn’t glom onto that idea sooner ha ha!
These sound fun. I have never been to a Renaissance Faire, but I’ve always wanted to.
Me too!
I’ve always wanted to go to one too!
Fabulous reviews Wendy! Glad you enjoyed all three!🤩💞📚
Thank you Kaceey!
So glad to see you enjoyed this series. I sometimes doubt my judgement but it feels good to know you have enjoyed books I have recommended so far. Excellent reviews!
Thank you, Yesha. They were so good.
Great reviews! I’ve always wanted to read this series so appreciate the reviews. The new book sounds good too!
It’s such a fun series, I hope you enjoy it when you get to it.
This sounds like such a fun series. I haven’t been to a Renaissance Faire in years!!!
I’ve never been to one, but after reading these, I sure would like to go to one.
A Renaissance Faire sounds like a great background for these books. I’ve always wanted to go to one.
Me too! There is one near my sister in law’s house, but instead of going, we just complain about the traffic when we visit!
That sounds like something I would do!
It’s a fun series, and I want to go to a Faire now!
I think Well Played was my favorite of the series so far. April tried my patience in Well Matched, but I loved Mitch. I love Brittany Pressley as a narrator. She does the Atlee Pine books by David Baldacci. I think I’d have enjoyed the books more with her as a the narrator. Glad to see you enjoyed them, Wendy!
Brittany Pressley is an excellent narrator. She was perfect for this series.
I loved Well Met! That whole Renaissance Faire thing really appealed to me. And I liked Well Played, though not quite as much. And I’ve got Well Matched sitting on my desk, just waiting for me to start reading it this weekend. This is such a great series. 😀
I thought Well Matched was the best of the three books. I hope you enjoy it!
I remember when the first one came out and I thought how neat about the Renaissance faire setting. I love faires and go all the time. I’m surprised someone didn’t glom onto that idea sooner ha ha!
Glad these are going strong!
I agree, Greg. It’s such a cool setting and very unique.
I have been to a renaissance fair and really enjoyed it. Glad you enjoyed the books 🙂
I’d love to go to a fair one day.
Great Reviews, like hearing about all of the series in one post 💕
Thank you, Jenny
Agree that she didn’t quite pull off Cyrano in that second book, but I loved how she represented Faire in all her books.
Yes, it was always fun to be at the Faire!
Great reviews! This is one of my favorite romance series! The characters and setting are just fantastic. I can’t wait for the next installment!
Thank you, Joanna!
Wow, you zipped through this series quickly. I’m glad you liked it so much.
Thank you, Lydia.
This sounds like such a fun series. Excellent reviews!
Thank you, Tessa. It was a lot of fun.
I’ve only read the first 2 but Well Matched is in my TBR. Great review!
Thank you, Rae. I thought Well Matched was the best one of the three. Hope you enjoy it too.