I really enjoyed this book, even though I was able to guess the first twist of the book. I'm torn on whether or not that's a negative against the story, but it was still a fun read. Lots of Faire fun from the point of view of a character that was interesting in DeLuca's first book, but didn't really get to shine.

Can I just say that having a Renaissance Faire as the backdrop for a series is just so, so fun? With the way Jen DeLuca writes it, it's so easy to picture the costumes and props, and I can almost hear in my head how they have to speak. After reading Well Met, I knew I'd be reading the companion novels and here we are! We met Stacey in the first book, as she was one of the first people Emily befriended, but now we get her story. Her life has been at a standstill ever since she stayed in Willow Creek to care for her mother years ago. When Simon and Emily get engaged, it's the push she needs to figure out what her next steps are and her goal is to make some changes by the time they get married at the Faire next summer. When she reaches out to her one-time summer Faire fling, Dex MacLean, on a drunken whim she never expected to receive a thoughtful and sweet email in return. But she does and it's the start of many messages between the two. So funny story. I had no idea what the book was about going into it and when we reached that part of the plot, it felt really obvious and predictable. Afterwards, I looked at the synopsis and it turns out, it was laid out pretty clearly: the guy she was exchanging messages with isn't Dex, but someone else entirely. To be honest, I felt like a lot of conflict was contrived and not done in a way that made it particularly stand out. It was the faire, the individual characters and the dynamics between them plus the sweet romance that kept me interested.

Do I recommend? I definitely enjoyed the first book more, particularly because I connected with Emily more strongly and I thought the plot was better written. That said, this was still a fun and sweet book that I would recommend if you are interested in this series.

My thoughts on this book are sort of all over the place. I liked parts of it a lot and parts of this book just didn't work so well for me. I remain excited about April and Mitch's book though so at least I didn't become uninterested in the series. Anyway, let's review what this book is about:

Stacey has been a part of the local Faire since she was in high school and despite her one time dream of pursuing fashion merchandising in NYC, she's stayed in her small town for good reasons, but she also feels very trapped. During the Faire summers, she's been hooking up with a guy in a band, Dex. Dex is the type that has a woman in every town though so it's not serious. But for some reason Stacey drunk facebook messages him like she's trying to make it more than what it is. They wind up having these really great conversations, but it's pretttty obvious, Stacey's not corresponding with Dex.

So, the conflict is well set up because we've got a clear case of catfishing happening. There's also a years worth of time to kill and correspondence to handle so this catfishing situation takes up literally half the book. Meanwhile, when it hits Fall, Stacey starts this challenge with her friends to guess how many pumpkin spice lattes she'll have throughout the season and inexplicably the number FOURTEEN is deemed a lot. That's like one a week!! I was outraged, tbh.

Anyway, I don't want to spoil anything beyond that, just wanted to set your expectations since this is a one-perspective romance. Ultimately, though, I just felt like the way these conflicts were handled were... weird. It seemed like Stacey would get so upset (deservedly) and then it was like a balloon would be pricked and she's good again. So. I kind of struggled with that. I also really felt like Stacey's ARC needed to be something... different? The way the end worked out just didn't work for me at all, but that doesn't mean it won't for you. It's also really challenging to talk about this book without spoilers.

But now that I've told you the things I didn't like, let's talk about what I did like. I think Stacey is a really relatable heroine in her late 20s. She's 27 and a little too addicted to her phone and social media. She seems all of her friends getting married or having kids and she wants that for herself, but feels like it's not going to happen. She's working a job she doesn't like, but doesn't know how to get what she does want. She's also a little self-conscious at times because she's plus size (which is another issue of mine because the Stacey on the cover of this dang book is NOT plus size). Her cat is precious in every way. She joined two book clubs, one with depressing books and one that's more fun. I really like Stacey and April and Mitch and Emily and Simon. I just don't know that our hero actually made sense for her because I really don't feel like he ever did anything to make up for his mistakes and Stacey kept chasing him. Imo. So. YMMV but I hope if you pick it up, you enjoy it!

Thanks so much to Berkley and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this book early!

Really cute romance! Stacey was almost TOO relatable of a narrator as a 27-year-old who feels stuck and directionless--living adjacent to her parents, not passionate about work, seeking validation on social media, drinking pumpkin spice lattes, and wanting more from life.

The build was a little slow and I had some issues with the pacing of the relationship development. While I enjoyed reading the email and text exchanges throughout the year and they laid an important foundation for the relationship, the next Renaissance Faire and the core conflict didn't happen until about halfway through the story, so the actual in-person relationship felt rushed. Additionally, Daniel's deceit was not incredibly impactful since it's mentioned in the synopsis, so it should've been revealed earlier in the book.

I preferred the enemies to lover vibe in Well Met, and I'm so glad Well Played featured Emily and Simon's happy ending. That being said, I really enjoyed the romance in Well Played, but I especially enjoyed Stacey's journey of self-discovery as she finally found the motivation she needed to take the reins in her life and go after what she wanted.

I absolutely loved this next Ren Faire love story from Jen DeLuca! Stacey's story was sweet and sexy, and revisiting the Faire and all its characters was so much fun. Highly recommend this!

Stacey is ready for a change in her life, but isn’t sure how change will come around. But when she starts emailing with a former fling from the Ren Faire, she feels like this could be the start of something big.

This book fell short for me. I found myself pretty bored from the halfway point of the book. I was not into the “catfishing” plot and honestly found the conflicts to be superficial. I wasn’t invested in the romance at all.

I liked Stacey at the beginning of the book. I found her to be really relatable, but I found her far too
willing to forgive some pretty big “mistakes” and by the end I was just annoyed.

3.5 stars

Well Met was a fun romance with characters I fell in love with instantly, so I couldn't wait to return to the world of Faire in Stacey's story.

Stacey was the girl who never left home to go to the big city and embark on her on. As she watched her friends get older, get engaged, have babies, accept job offers, she began to resent her little life. It wasn't until she started texting year-round with a supposed old fling that she started to imagine a different life for herself.

While I wasn't as dazzled by Stacey's love story as I was with Emily and Simon, I loved Stacey's growth. The Faire magic was alive in Well Played; however, Stacey's story involved more of Willow Creek since the novel took place from the end of Faire to the start of Faire. Like in Well Met, I was charmed by the secondary characters and I became more invested in April and Mitch's chemistry than Stacey and her anonymous beau's. Despite not falling head-over-heels in love with the romance, Well Played was a worthy follow up to Well Met.

I would skip this one. I found the main character unlikeable and the whole catfishing scheme wasn't my thing. I loved book 1 but would not recommend this.

A delightful follow up to WELL MET. I appreciated how the initial big reveal turned out and the realistic responses by both the hero and the heroine. I can't wait for Mitch and April (please let the next book be about these two)!

However, DeLuca introduces the idea that Daniel is ready for a change in his lifestyle, and this is never addressed at the end of the book.

Stacey’s small-town life has one big fun thing which she looks forward to each year especially since she gave up her dreams after college returning to Willow Creek to care for a sick mother. Since she was in high school, Stacey has been part of the local Renaissance Faire every summer. Her group of life long friends and a new one, Emily, spend four weeks each summer in costume role playing. Stacey portrays a saucy wench who supervises the tavern and strolls the Faire interacting with the other cast members. During previous summers, she had a fling with Dex Maclean, a member of the Celtic band Dueling Kilts. Described as a Chris Hemsworth brawny type, Dex is definitely a player of more than an instrument on the Ren Faire circuit. Stacey always thought of him as a man of few words, more action than talk which she had not been bothered by until recently.

After the end of the Faire, Stacey is feeling a bit sorry for herself and so inspired by a tequila muscles, she sends Dex a message that is basically asking for more than just hookups. Thus, they begin a nine month relationship of emails, then texting; she receives some surprisingly deep and heart felt messages. Stacey notices more of her friends getting married and starting families as she is helping to plan Emily and Simon’s wedding to be held at the Faire. Everyone seems to be moving on with their lives except her, so this long-distance romance becomes even more important.

Since the synopsis already gives the big twist away, it is not a spoiler to say that the man Stacey has been writing to and falling virtually in love with is not Dex, but his cousin, Daniel, who manages the band. Stacey only realizes this right before they are to meet in person so that sets up a relationship with some rocky times ahead. Being a victim of catfishing is difficult to overcome; however, Stacey seems very forgiving though Daniel has a lot to answer for with his subterfuge.

Second in the Well Met series, this book, though well written, seemed to be much more of a self-exploring Women’s Fiction than the Rom-Com it is purported to be. Romance may be on her mind, but the actual time Stacey and Daniel spend together in person is brief and late in the story. The main focus centers quite a bit on the quotidian life and Stacey’s growing dissatisfaction with her lackluster job and meager love prospects. Fans of the first story, WELL MET will enjoy seeing Emily and Simon prepare for their nuptials as well as catch up with other characters who are part of their cadre.

This was such a great follow up to Well Met! I loved how it felt like a continuation and brand new story all in one! It was so great to see familiar faces and met some new characters. Well Played was the perfect balance of romance, Faire life, and friendship! I really enjoyed Stacey’s romance and the modern twist on things!Well Played is a fun and fresh story; reading it felt like coming home! I really hope there is another book on the horizon!

An enormous thank you to Berkley, NetGalley, and Jen DeLuca for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was everything that I’d possibly hoped it would be. I love that this was about Stacey because she was one of my absolute favorite characters in Well Met and I couldn’t wait to see how her story played out. This book didn’t disappoint.

Well Played had me gripped from the very beginning. Getting to still see Emily and Simon’s story unfold beyond the events of the first book made it that much better. Now I’m even more excited for the third book and will absolutely be doing a reread of these books before Well Matched comes out!

Stacey’s story and the way the relationship plays out is something I can see playing out in my head so easily for someone, but I won’t spoil the details. I can’t wait to get my hands on a physical copy of this book.

For those of us who have been impatiently waiting since we read the fantastic Well Met last year, the wait is over. In Well Played we get to know Stacey, Emily's friend/wench mentor from Well Met. When her friends Simon and Emily get engaged, Stacey's jolted to the realization that she wants a change in her life. She's lonely, hoping for a new connection, and in a drunken moment, messages Dex MacLean, a Faire hookup who performs in the Dueling Kilts. The two start emailing, then texting, and becoming closer as time passes. But when Faire season comes again Stacey learns 'Dex' isn't who she's been falling in love with. It's his cousin, band manager Daniel MacLean. How many lies are between them and are they willing to fight for a chance at love and happiness?

Stacey was a great person to get to know, and a perfect example of the masks that people wear in their everyday lives. She loves Faire and those few weeks of summer when she gets to put on a corset and become Beatrice. But outside of that, her life is in a rut and she feels hemmed in by both insecurities and what she thinks other people expect from her. She feels like all her friends on social media are moving on and having great, grown-up lives, and she's not only not doing that, she's not sure what she wants anymore out of life. It's the insecurities that most of us face at least a few times in life and was well done. Stacey's also a kind and caring person, maybe a little too forgiving. When she figures out that 'Dex' is really Daniel, she's willing to forgive him pretty quickly because of how close they've become through their emails. He knows her better than anyone and she's more than half in love with him already. Jen DeLuca does a great job showing how close two people can become through only the written word. Sometimes you find yourself telling the other person things that might take years to say face to face (and as might happen face to face, the communication doesn't go as well as through the written word here)- so Stacey forgiving Daniel is no surprise, and worked for me. Daniel himself is a little tougher to get, and he never quite does it for me. He has romantic moments, and we get hints of his insecurities and always feeling second best to Dex. But he doesn't jump off the page on his own. He messes up and is willing to walk away instead of trying to fight for his relationship with Stacey. Stacey finds herself ready to apologize for things that really, Daniel should be apologizing for. That disappointed me. I wanted Daniel to fight to fix what he needed to fix, instead of assuming one problem means the end of everything and giving up easily.

Once again, Jen DeLuca's writing is full of sparkling humor, emotional tugs of the heartstrings, and this time we get a pretty cute cat too. The Faire moments are some of the best, DeLuca's love of all things Renaissance Faire come through perfectly and you wish you could step through the pages and walk down the lanes with the characters. Her descriptions make you feel the heat, taste the dust, and hear the fiddles. Some people might not like how much Emily and Simon show up in this book, but personally, I loved it. I liked Well Met better than Well Played, so having Emily and Simon and the subplot of their wedding throughout this book really helped me.

While Well Played could be read on its own, it will definitely be better if you read Well Met first- here we get Emily and Simon's wedding, see more of April and Mitch, and overall get to revisit old friends as well as make new ones this Faire season.


I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review

I really needed this book when I read it. I wanted more Ren Faire and more depth - maybe because the enemies to lovers tension in Well Met was so so good, but Well Played was just right for me right when I read it. I enjoyed watching the hero and heroine fall in love almost in secret. Their relationship was just light enough but with enough emotion that I just kept reading. I love the setting of these books and hope to get more of them soon!

Thank you for an arc in exchange for an honest review
You may know that I LOVED Well Met. If you didn't know that, go find that review... . I'm sad to say I just didn't feel the magic with this one. We're back for the Willow Creek Ren Faire. This time our leading lady is Stacey. She's excited for another year at the faire but she's also feeling stuck in Willow Creek. She's living above her parents' garage, working a job she doesn't care about it, and single as can be. Can one drunken, heartfelt email change all of that?

Basically, I didn't feel the sparks flying with our new couple. I missed the banter and the tension of the first book and had trouble finding the chemistry this time. I was hoping to find a new book boyfriend and I can't say I did.

Coming back to Willow Creek is like coming back home. I loved Well Met when I read it last year and was so excited about getting Stacey’s story in this book. It didn’t let me down and it was so easy to get drawn into the world of Faire and seeing these characters again.

There were quite a few times that Stacey felt real to me. So many questions she had about life made me feel seen. I’m in my late twenties, almost thirties, and have had so many questions about what I should be doing in my life. To be honest, I still do. She has flaws but came off really genuine. There’s something about the way DeLuca can craft such relatable characters that I really enjoy.

I really wish I could go into detail about our love interest, but I don’t want to spoil anything. He was such a cinnamon roll! He was perfect for Stacey and I loved how much he was enamored with her. He went about some things the wrong way, a real wrong way. However, I feel like we got to know him and see why he did it. I have a thing for men who have a way with words.

Some of my favorite books are ones that have written correspondence in them. So I was living for the emails and texts that were between these two.

This was a great sequel to Well Met and I can’t wait to read Mitch and April's book next year!

I really enjoyed this first book in this series so I had high expectations for this sequel. The first half had some major "You've Got Mail" vibes and I would've liked even more of their emails back and forth. Then in the second half the book seemed to drag and lost some of the spark. The conflict the reader knows is coming took too long for our heroine to catch on and then felt too quickly resolved. I enjoyed the setting and cast of characters. their humor is so much fun and they touch on a lot of introspective things I think a lot of women can relate to. But I felt like this book could have been better and the big swoony moments just weren't there for me. I was a little let down by this sequel but I'll still keep reading in this series if there are more to come.

A complex and lovely escapist book, WELL PLAYED is a fantastic follow-up to WELL MET. I was especially impressed with how expectations were subverted and loved Stacey as a main character.

Thanks to the publisher for the eARC.

It was great to go back to the Ren Faire. It was fun to get back to the Faire setting and the others characters we loved from Well Met.

I liked getting more backstory about Stacey and then see her progression over the course of the book. I felt a bit frustrated with Stacey sometimes because she didn’t ever go to her friends to talk through what she was going through. She didn’t feel like she had the right to go there and I wanted to yell at her.

I enjoyed Stacey’s relationship with Daniel, though more once they met in person. Though I don’t love when women figure out what they want in their life because of a man, I think Stacey needed someone to nudge her forward.

If you liked Well Met, I think you’ll enjoy this second installment. I am very excited to read the third one

I hate to say this because I really enjoyed Well Met, but I've just DNF'ed this one 46% though. Quite honestly, not much has happened. No romance to speak of, and the plot twist was already revealed in the blurb... sorry to be negative but this one didn't resonate with me.