Well Played by Jen DeLuca is the delightful second story in her Well Met series. The first in the series, also called Well Met, has a well deserved place on my best of 2019 list, so I have been eagerly awaiting this sequel. It's another enjoyable romantic comedy that cements this author's place on my auto-buy list.

Stacey has been involved with the local Renaissance Faire since she was a teenager and it's an important part of her life. But she's fully aware that other life milestones seem to be passing her by. With the engagement of her friends Emily and Simon (who got together in Well Met), she finds herself a little bit lonely (phone calls from her mom who lives literally next door since she rents an apartment above her parent's garage) don't count. Her day job as a dental office receptionist pays the bills but isn't exciting, and her nights out involve her local core group of friends with whom she has no budding romantic attractions.

During the previous two summers of Faire she had a non-committal hookup with singing kilted heart-throb Dex Maclean. Though they don't engage in any shenanigans this summer, she finds herself messaging him on social media while slightly drunk over the winter holidays, and to her surprise Dex writes back. One message turns to another and soon they are sharing some deep and personal thoughts. Stacey is excitedly looking forward to meeting this man of more emotional depth than she'd expected when Faire returns. But when it does, she quickly discovers that in fact, it's been Dex's cousin Daniel, the band's manager and a man who has always sort of caught her eye with his quiet demeanor and friendly smile, who has been messaging her, not Dex at all. Being catfished definitely puts a damper on the start of Faire – and yet, Daniel's apology rings true and she can't forget the things they talked about. Could it be that her life is ready to take on a new direction, with a brand new man?

Well played indeed! It's understandable that Stacey feels like she's been played when she finds out that Daniel is really the one who has been messaging her. But to his credit, Daniel doesn't try to cover it up once the truth is out there, and they are able to work their way through it to a place where both of them are quite happy. There are some sweet and sexy love scenes and the connection they made while texting becomes a solid one in real life. But the truth of the matter is that Daniel travels for ten months of the year with the band and Stacey has a job and a life in Willow Creek (even if it's one she's not particularly satisfied with). Faire only lasts for 4 weeks, and then they'll have to decide whether their relationship is ready to move to another level. I enjoyed their romance and while I think Daniel sometimes was a bit too passive, their happy ending is very satisfying.

The other stars of the show are the setting of course and the secondary characters. The background of a Renaissance Faire is not one you see often and so it makes for a really fun read for those unfamiliar with the setting (and likely nostalgia for those who are, especially after this pandemic year). Emily and Simon celebrate their wedding as part of this year's Faire (very sweet) and we also get some interesting tidbits about Emily's sister April (very much NOT a Faire person) and everyone's friend Mitch who wears a kilt the right way and is the subject of many crushes.

The author writes for the reader of today, where social media is an ever present part of daily life and selfies with one's pet (cue Stacey's cat Benedick) are the norm. The epilogue does a great job of tying everything together, making Daniel and Stacey's relationship believable as it moves forward. I'm already excited for whatever comes next in the series, and hoping it's not too long a wait!

This review will be featured at Harlequin Junkie and the link updated when the blog post goes live.

This was fine. Everything just felt rushed. Going from fashion marketing dreams to just working a merch booth? Unsatisfying compromise. The only thing I will remember about this one in two months time is that it took place at a ren faire.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy

I have conflicted feeling about this book. I like that I got to see more behind the scene of the Faire and I didn’t realize that Faire acts go around the country and make a career out of it. That was neat to see. What I don’t like about the book is the cat fishing and that Daniel was never upfront with Stacy even after the truth was out. He should’ve told the whole truth when they got together. I also don’t like the fact that he never chase after her and she had to chase after him both times. Stacy didn’t deserve that. I understand that Daniel wanted to give her space the first time but I don’t understand why he chose to leave instead of facing her the second time around. I also didn’t really connect well with both characters as much as I did with Simon and Emily. I love seeing Simon and Emily in this book and see they get their happily ever after. As much as I didn’t like this book, I am looking forward to reading about Mitch and April in the next book. They seem like a odd couple but will fill with sparks.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

It's been five years since Stacey's mother got sick and she put her life on hold. Five years since she had any real direction. Working at a placeholder job, living in her parents' garage apartment, and having no real romantic prospects, she sends a "drunk text" to her Faire hook-up. To her surprise, he responds, and she finds herself falling in love via their months long exchange. Imagine her dismay when she eagerly awaits his return only to find her suitor is NOT who she thought he was.

It was so wonderful to return to the Faire! Being in this world is always a treat, and though there were a few changes, here and there, it still held the same magic as it did in the previous book, Well Met. Not only did we get to return to all the ladies and lords of Willow Creek, but we got to attend a wedding! I don't know about you, but I love when the author incorporates previous couples in a companion series, and it was fun to catch up with everyone again.

What's notable about both of DeLuca's books is that they are not just about the romance, but also about the heroine's personal journey. As I mentioned, Stacey felt stuck and left behind. Her friends were getting married and having babies, and well, she had a cat. I won't pretend I couldn't relate, because I could. I appreciated her struggle with making changes in her life, and also proving to herself that she wasn't who everyone thought she was. That there was a lot more to her, and she just had to believe that about herself. I found I was really proud of Stacey and how much she grew in this story, and it was really satisfying seeing her making so much personal progress.

Let's not forget the romance! I don't want to reveal too much here, though to be honest, I was able to guess the identity of the suitor. Still, I am staying mum on his name, but I will say that I adored him! At first, I wasn't sure about him for multiple reasons, but it was easy to see that he viewed Stacey with hearts in his eyes. He was so sweet, and he more or less owned me even before his identity was confirmed. I thought his written correspondence was fabulous, but he was also charming in person. I already mentioned Stacey's growth, but I thought these two grew a lot together as well.

This book also did a great job getting me excited about the next couple. It was easy to see what was happening between them, and when my suspicions were confirmed, I might have done a little happy dance. Is it wrong that I keep hoping DeLuca will expand the list of main players? I enjoy this world so much and cannot imagine it ending with the next book. (Are you listening, Jen DeLuca?)

Regardless, it was a treat getting to watch one of our favorite wenches fall in love and get her life on track. The trifecta of laugh, smile, and swoon was met, and I finished this book with a huge smile on my face.

This one was an interesting read—and I’m struggling how to put my thoughts down because while I super enjoyed the characters, I had a hard time with the central conflict: catfishing. I was so, so mad at the love interest. He turned it around at the end, and he was sorry but man—it was hard to really let myself enjoy them falling in love when he was lying nearly the whole time. Now, I knew that going in so it’s on me—what surprised me was how long it went on (a whole YEAR!!). So this one is hard for me to rate because my feeling of frustration outweighed the swoon.

Still, it was SO great to be back in this world, to be at the faire, to see Emma + Simon, too. And I can’t wait for the next one! I’m REALLY looking forward to the last couple. I’ve been rooting for them from the beginning!

Well Played is an unusual mix of good writing with a boring plot. One of the positive things about it, as well as it’s predecessor, is the view from the inside of a Renaissance fair. Also, Stacey, the main character, has a good group friends— always a plus. However, there is too much reflection on how much Stacey loves “Faire”, what a big part of her life it’s been over the years and an over the top number of references to getting into and out of corsets. The romance and conflict are signaled early on in the book (Really, Stacey, you didn’t see that coming?) and it takes forever to get to anything in the way of action. I did read this all the way through with only a bit of skimming. It left me wishing the book were shorter with more male character development and a more substantive plot.

3.5 stars = I liked it. The ren-faire as a locale is in this series is still fun., but there is much less of it this time as the story takes place over a whole year. This time Stacey, who showed Emily/Emma the ropes of being a ren-faire serving wench in the previous book is in the lead. Stacey is feeling a bit in a rut with all her friends moving forward in their lives. When she drunk emails her once a year faire hook up they start emailing and texting and Stacey actually finds herself looking forward to some. I didn't read the blurb before reading the story, but if you have you already know the twist. Stacey handles it well and without overmuch drama. Still the leads were both likable - -even if the heroine did much of the heavy lifting to get to the HEA- and the leads getting to know each other and start forming a bond between faires via texts and emails was done well - plus I like that as a method of making a deeper connection. So I liked Well Played and look for to kilted Mitch's book.

ARC via courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley - release date 9/22/2020

Another trip back to the Renaissance Faire! I adored the first book in this series, Well Met so I excited to read Well Played. Overall it was enjoyable, romantic and a fun read! I didn't love it quite as much as the first book but I adore these characters and any chance to visit the faire!

3.5 Stars
Jen Deluca continues the series with the story of Stacey. We have a woman who is living a life she had not thought of...her dream was fashion and right now she is at home as a receptionist, helping to emotionally support her family as needed, and pining away for a man she knows from the Renaissance Faire.

She starts to have a year-long text/email relationship with him, anticipating their reuniting when the faire comes back and is in for a huge surprise.

This was a HUGE miss for me, which makes me so sad because I really loved Well Met. But, for some reason, the writing, the characters, and the romance just were not for me.

From the beginning, I really found it hard to like Stacey's character. She complains so much about her life and staying in a small time to be there for her mom when she was sick; she is pretty resentful that she never got to leave and chase her dreams. Now, she's 27 and nothing is keeping her in the small town except for her fear of moving away and something happening to her mom. Seeing as I'm the same age as the main character, I found her annoying and couldn't feel compassion for her. Stop complaining about your life and do something! Talk to people about how unhappy you are! Instead, she would wallow and make people guess how many Pumpkin Spice Lattes she was going to drink that season. Also, when we're introduced to her, I feel like the author did a lot of telling us about Stacey and it made it hard to connect with her organically because it was pretty boring and not really engaging.

As for the romance, this was a catfish scenario that took place for literally 50% of the book. Stacey is emailing/texting who she thinks is Dex, but we know it's really Daniel, his cousin. They were talking to each other for ten months (I think?) and I really didn't feel a connection between them. Maybe it's because there were only a handful of emails we saw between them, but I didn't really think they had that intense connection Stacey claimed they had. I also thought it was weird that they were talking for ten months and Stacey never asked to FaceTime or even call each other on the phone? But that's just me.

I also thought Stacey's reaction to finding out it was Daniel happened way too quickly and she never even made him grovel for what he did. Their connection just didn't feel authentic because of that and I really didn't care for how their romance was going to end. Also, while I loved Well Met, I was kind of tired of how much we saw the couple of the first book in this story. I would have DNFd this book if I had not gotten a copy to review. It just wasn't for me.

Jen DeLuca's writing just puts a smile on my face. This sequel to Well Met is somehow just as adorable, just as romantic, just as sweetly steamy as the first in the series without feeling like the same story. Once again, I deeply want to be at Ren Faire, because DeLuca transports her reader.

"Well Met" is one of my favorite books that I've read within the past year, and I loved returning to the cast of characters and setting of the fictional Willow Creek Renaissance Fair. In a time of lots of change and uncertainty, it felt comforting to read about these characters again and know that by the end of the book, everything would be resolved in a happy ending.

Where I struggled a bit with this book was the pacing of the plot and some of the character development. There was a lot of set-up to get to the climax, and then once we got there, the characters just plowed through it without much conflict. Also, some of the characters felt a bit flat to me. As a main character, Stacey was great-- lively and complex. Daniel, as the romantic lead, fell flat in comparison. We never really learn much about him, and for that reason, I didn't quite feel the sparks between Stacey and Daniel.

3.75 stars rounded up to 4.

After reading (and absolutely loving!) Well Met at the beginning of the year, I was super excited when I heard this book would be released in the fall! Unfortunately, Well Played fell flat for me.

I am not a fan of cat fishing storylines and while I loved Daniel’s character, I felt that Stacey’s forgiveness came too quickly and didn’t really allow for any kind of character growth. Stacey’s character started out incredibly critical of herself and her choices, and while it was totally relatable, I found it a bit over-the-top. I love strong, powerful female characters and Stacey didn’t get there for me.

I loved being back in the Faire setting, though, and seeing glimpses of Simon and Emily’s relationship. I’m also really looking forward to what I presume will be April’s story to round out the series!

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for an advanced e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

After reading (and loving) 'Well Met' last year, I was so excited to get to Well Played. I liked Stacey a lot and couldn't wait to get her story. Though I didn't love this one quite as much as the first, it was still a great read!

If you've read 'Well Met' you remember Emily's friend and fellow tavern wench, Stacey. Stacey is still in the same small town she grew up in, even though she had dreams to work in fashion in the big city. Due to some family things, life took her in a different direction and she's mostly content. Mostly. She lives for the Renaissance Festival her small town puts on every summer. It's her favorite time of year. And for the last two years, she's had a casual thing with of the guys that travels from faire to faire.

After the season is over she decides to message the guy. This turns into almost an entire year of texting and emailing. Stacey is smitten. And she's counting down the days until she sees her old hookup, now friend in person. Only things don't go exactly as expected when they meet again for the first time. And that's all I'll say about that ;)

The hero of this book was great. So sweet and soft and I adored him. I liked Stacey a lot too and I think her story and path in life could be relatable to a lot of women. By the end, I was shouting 'you go girl' to her! This book made me so nostalgic for my Ren Faire days (this year is canceled in Ohio d/t Covid...) and I love all the scenes that take place there. I absolutely love the setting of these books and I can't wait for the next one in the series (Mitch and April- gah! Give me!!)

If you're looking for a sweet, steamy, and fun read check this one out. It does have some pretty blatant cat fishing going on, but for some reason it didn't bother me much. I enjoyed the heck out of this one and I'm looking forward to reading more from Jen DeLuca!

3.5 stars

The second in a series of romances set in the world of Renaissance Fairs. Home town girl Stacie is wistful about never having left the comfort of her small town. She struck out on her own once, but a serious medical incident with her mom brought her back and now she is somewhat afraid to leave. She lives above her parents' garage and has a boring job, but her world comes alive every summer when she signs on as part of the local Renaissance Fair crew.

She has one too many glasses of wine one night and messages a band member that she hooked up with the last two summers. A long distance text and email relationship ensues and Stacie really opens up about her life and her challenges.

But, being a romance, a huge obstacle/misunderstanding appears. This plot mechanism is pretty predictable but still works out. An appealing distraction and quick read. Thanks to the publisher and to Net Galley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Some other reviews mention that they did not like how much Emily was in this one. I did not think that was the case. She is the Protagonist's best friend and had a much larger to tell - wedding planning, but it still did not focus on that. Others did not like this from the Cyrano (catfishing) in the story. I thought it was pretty obvious who she was talking to throughout the book. The author does point out several times that Stacey was only there for her parents, had a job that didn't fit her, and loved the faire time more than anything else. Basically 50-60% in, I knew the ending. I was still glad to see how it played out.

My review is posted:
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50089191-well-played

I stayed up all night and read this book in one sitting!
There was a lot of pressure on this follow up to DeLuca's hit, Well Met. I honestly think that it was a success.
Stacey was the other Tavern Wench with Emily from the first book, and I was genuinely interested in her story. Stacey is a much more layered and dynamic character than I even thought she would be from the first book. Feeling a little lost in life after a family health scare brings her home after college, she has made excuses for her living situation for too long. The only thing she looked forward to was Faire, and the kilt-clad band The Dueling Kilts.
After drunkenly messaging a member of the band she had hooked up with, she starts to message back and forth with them, getting to know them better. What she doesn't know, is that she is actually falling in love with the band's manager, Daniel, not his cousin Dex like she thought.
So yes, there is a catphishing element to the story. If that is not your trope, you may not enjoy this novel as much as the first.
I feel like it was handled in a way where you were able to understand where Daniel was coming from, and still root for them to be together without it feeling wrong or icky.
The chemistry, and the swoony writing that Stacey and Daniel have makes it easy to love and truly root for them to face their demons and win in the end.
Please read this book! I loved it a whole lot.

CW: Parent illness

Huzzah! I’ve always wanted to go to a Renaissance Faire: the colorful costumes, festive music, knights (hopefully in shinning armor) jousting, turkey legs bigger than my face. So I’m not surprised how much I’ve loved this Renaissance Faire series by Jen Deluca. The first book in the series, Well Met, stole my heart last year and book #2, Well Played, didn’t disappoint.

Recap: Stacey feels stuck. She has the same old weekday routine: working as a receptionist at a dental office during the day, Jackson’s on Friday and nights spent cuddling with her tuxedo cat Benedick. The only time she feels somewhat excited is during the summer when she volunteers at the local Faire as a tavern wench. But this year, after Faire is wrapped, she decides to email her Faire fling (the kilt wearing band member of The Dueling Kilts, Dex McLean), to see if she can finally have something in her life that she can get excited about. Once she hears back from Dex, she realizes there may be more to them than their mutual attraction. But once Faire rolls around again she’s surprised to learn that the man she was falling for via emails may not have been the kilt wearing hunk she was lead to believe…

What I loved:

–Stacey was so relatable. I grew up in a small town (it was actually an Air Force Base, which is basically the same thing😆) , so I found her feelings of being stuck in Willow Creek very relatable. I totally felt when Stacey scrolled through social media and sees her old high school friends getting married and having kids and feeling left behind.

–Daniel. I love a sweet love interest & Daniel was such a thoughtful, kind guy.

–The conflict. Without giving anything away, I was worried there wouldn't be much conflict after a *certain* reveal, but there were plenty of twists and turns that kept me completely sucked into the story.

Side note: We’re getting Mitch and April’s story and I couldn’t be more excited to watch those two fall head over heels for each other.

Rating 5/5

Steam Level 🔥/4 (aka I will never look at fake fur rugs the same way)

*I received an arc courtesy of the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A very sweet follow-up to the wonderful WELL MET. I loved Stacey and her search for what she really wants in life - it's refreshing to have a heroine who doesn't want the house and kids and marriage necessarily. I was cheering so much for her at the end when she chose adventure over the normal. I also loved peeking back into Emily and Simon's lives as well.

3.5 stars

We're back again 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?

You may know that I LOVED Well Met. If you didn't know that, go find that review... So, of course, I was very very excited to return to this world. I'm sad to say I just didn't feel the magic with this one. The first half of the book didn't even take place at the faire and mainly consisted of catfish-filled emails.

If you love Emily and Simon (obviously I do) you're still in luck. Their wedding is a big part of the plot here. I shouldn't be complaining about that but it didn't allow Stacey to chance to shine. This is her book after all!

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.

All of this being said, I don't regret reading this book one bit and I still loved being back with all of my favorite faire workers. And will I read Well Matched? Absolutely!