One of the best things I can say about books I read is that I didn’t take very many notes. I’m a highly critical reader, so typically I scribble down page after page of them. When I don’t, I know that I truly enjoyed something, and that, despite one glaring issue I had, is the case with Well Played.

I’m a big fan of nerdy romances, which this is, and I absolutely love the trope of miscommunication in the form of “Oh, no, I thought I was writing to this person, when really it was someone else entirely!” You see it most often in historical romance, because that whole letter writing thing doesn’t translate super well to the modern age.

I’m glad to say that Jen DeLuca found a way to make it work.

This is a fast-paced, cute, quirky romance with two very likable main characters set during a Renaissance Faire. The chemistry between them is believable, the angst makes total sense, and even the support cast was solid.

My one issue is the same one my co-blogger had with the first installment: where are all the people of color?

This is set where I used to live. For six years. The racial breakdown there is dissimilar than much of the country in that over 30% of the population is Black. The whole time I read this, I kept thinking to myself, “Where are all the Black people?”

I went to the local Ren Faire every year, and guess what, I saw plenty of Black and Asian and Latinx people there. I set this book down a while ago, and as I sit here writing out this review, I’m struggling to remember if there was even a single offhand mention of a person of color. Which, in this day and age, is kind of unforgivable, especially since I can attest to how diverse the area is.

So while I enjoyed this book, I really hope to see more inclusiveness and diversity from DeLuca in the future.

There's a lot to like about Jen DeLuca's second "Well Met" entry, unfortunately there's also one or two problems.

This time around we're following the romantic entanglements of Stacy, the scatter brained wench who helped Emily get acclimated to Ren Faire life in book one. Faced with Simon and Emily's impending marriage she's decided its time to get herself together both in life and love. Years ago she passed up a terrific career opportunity to help care for her sick mother and she's just never gotten out of the boring but comfortable routine of a ho hum job, summers spent slinging ale at the Ren Faire tavern, and the odd fling with whoever.

Her latest "whoever" is Dex who fronts the Ren Faire band "The Dueling Kilts" but he's ghosted her following their "no labels" previous summer of love. One night, in a drunken state of desperation, she sends him a pathetic email claiming he's a jerk for never actually trying to get to know her. Sober Stacy waits in horror for his response only to receive a kind, contrite message telling her she's not only right but asking if there's still a chance for them to have a real relationship.

So begins an online correspondence that starts to make Stacy feel like Dex might just be the one.

But this being a contemporary romance there's one tiny complication...she hasn't been emailing Dex. She's been talking to a total stranger.

First of all I was a little surprised with DeLuca's decision to go with Stacy as the main character. I sort of assumed, and was looking forward to, a book about Emily's sister. Stacy's fine but other than being apparently somewhat scatter brained she hadn't registered much as a character.

Then there's the issue of Stacy's reaction to the realization that's she's been catfished for 9 months by someone she barely knows. Long story short she gets over it, real, real quick. Didn't work for me.

Then there's the "happy ending" which has Stacy still not realizing her original dreams and instead following other people around the country while they realize theirs. Didn't work for me.

I don't know, this all felt a little forced and cringey. Also not nearly enough jousting and carousing for this nerdy lover of all things Ren Faire.

Having recently read "Well Read," I was delighted to find a sequel/companion title to it. It was wonderful to visit the Faire again and to continue the story of Emily and Simon. This new story line was cute and I enjoyed seeing it play out. I'll admit to guessing what was going on, but continued reading to a satisfying conclusion.

I absolutely love the Maryland Renaissance Faire and thus, DeLuca's books are like candy to me. I absolutely gobbled this one up! I liked this perspective but I would have loved more scenes actually at Faire. I would also love a book about the main characters traveling to different faires! Looking forward to the next book (I hope it's Claire's story!)

3.5 ⭐️

Working at a dental office, living in an above garage apartment at her parents’ house, and have never left Willow Creek, Stacey feels ridiculously stuck. With all her friends engaged, married, popping babies, she feels change just needs to happen. After two summer Ren Faires worth of hookups with a hot guitarist Dex, she musters the courage to message him to see if there could be something more. But, is there? Could there? Or, is Dex’s behind-the-scenes cousin Daniel be The One?

Because I loved Well Met SO much, I had tremendously high hopes for this one, and I am still a little torn and sad that I didn’t love it. Don’t get me wrong - there were plenty of swoon worthy moments, a revisit to Willow Creek’s Ren Faire, and a fun reunion with characters from the prior novel. I liked Stacey, and all her imperfections, insecurities; the relationship with her mom, though only a snippet, was so heartfelt. I absolutely adored the email and text exchanges. And, I am absolutely a fan of DeLuca’s writing! On that note, I’m still looking forward to April and Mitch’s story!

Well Played, the second book by Jen DeLuca is just as funny and sweet as Well Met. Stacey, the bubbly blonde bar wench of Willow Creek Ren Faire and Daniel, the tall ginger manager of his cousin's band have amazing chemistry. Though they don't physically interact throughout most of the book their emails and texts are some of the best parts of the book.
Jen De Luca is an author that I will always read.

I was so excited to receive this ARC of Well Played. Well Met was so delightful that I couldn't wait for this one! Stacey's story is much quieter than Emily's, but I found myself real drawn to her to big heart. I loved getting to read about her falling in love. Daniel was a sweet hero, and I enjoyed the relationship he and Stacey developed. Stacey was a very relatable heroine that I think many readers will enjoy. My favorite scenes were when everyone (Emily, Simon, Stacey, Mitch, and April) were together. They practically leapt off the page and have me REALLY excited for Well Matched (Mitch and April's book).

This was a quiet and sweet love story (which totally works for Stacey and Daniel) that made me lose quite a bit of sleep this week.

Thanks Berkley and NetGalley for the ARC!

This was a sweet ride to get back into. It felt like going back to summer camp all over again because of the characters that aroused and the new ones to come. Stacey is such a sweet heart and I instantly fell in love with her and her life in general. The struggles that she has to go through, and how she balances everything well together is amazing to me. You all must read this book, though the first one seems to still be my favorite ;)

Well Played by Jen DeLuca is the second novel in her “Well Met” series. The novel follows the budding relationship and love story of Stacey and Dex. However—in a very Cyrano de Bergerac Twist—Stacey might not be falling in love with Dex after all. Jen DeLuca gives readers a delightful romance that is full of angst, heart, and humor. For fans of her debut novel—Jen DeLuca does not disappoint and we get to enjoy characters from her previous book. Readers will once again be swept into a romance and wanting their own Renaissance festival magic.

I was so excited to get back to the Ren Faire romance world from Jen Deluca, but Stacey and Dex were just ok gif me. It was a cute story with sweet moments but I didn’t care for Dex and the storyline was tough for me to follow at times.

I really enjoyed Well Met, so I was excited for Stacey's story and Well Played absolutely did not disappoint. The complicated story of mistaken identity and long distance romance was well crafted and enjoyable, but most of all I enjoyed the ways that Stacey grew as a character, in her relationship with her parents and her friends and her hometown. I tend not to enjoy a Cyrano story, since the lying is hard to get past, but I thought it was handled well here, and I enjoyed the chemistry that developed between Stacey and Daniel by the end of the story. Can't wait for the next one!

There is literally nothing I want more than to escape into the fantasy world of a Ren Faire right now, and Well Played let's you do just that. I love how different this love story was than Well Met. The couple and the happily ever after are different and refreshing and just goes to show you that everyone's happily ever after is going to be different! Love this so much.

Thank you to Berkley Pub and NetGalley for this ARC to review!
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I can't even tell you my anticipation and excitement over going back to Willow Cove to see all our favorite Ren Faire peeps! I loved Well Met SOOOOO MUCH. And for the most part, I was pretty happy with Well Played!
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Stacey is tired of being a basic wench stuck in Willow Cove. Even though she stayed in her small hometown for a good reason, she's ready for something else, something bigger! Is Dex, her kilt-wearing, macho hook-up from the last two summers 'the one'? Or will someone else appear in her life and sweep her away to more exciting things? :)
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I really loved the lol-humor in Well Played! I feel it was missing the same charm that so endeared me to Well Met - more Ren Faire, the cozy bookshop, the budding sister relationship - and I enjoyed the chemistry and trope more in Well Met between Simon and Emily. That being said, this is a really fun, light read that is enjoyable and easy to consume.
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I am almost certain there will be a third book in the Well Met series, so definitely read this one and then continue on!

Well Met was one of my favorite books of 2019 and I was so excited to get my hands on the follow up. I adored the small town Ren Faire setting and was really looking forward to revisiting Willow Creek. Unfortunately, Well Played was a big let down. The book follows Stacey who is feeling unsatisfied and over her small town life. After a couple too many drinks she emails an old hookup, Dex (or is it?), and they begin communicating through text. I'm assuming from the many mentions of Cyrano de Bergerac, we are supposed to think this is a fun Cyrano epistolary story. What actually happens on the page is straight up catfishing and I just couldn't get past it. I didn't understand the motivations for keeping up the deception for almost an entire year. I didn't understand the reaction to the all too predictable reveal. There wasn't even a good HEA-worthy grovel or redemption! The book is told from Stacy's POV only and I think this is perhaps a detriment to the story. Maybe, just maybe, if we had some Daniel POV I would have understood his motivations or feelings. All in all, I was not invested in either character or their romance and came away from this book feeling kinda icked out.

In Well Played, Jen DeLuca returns to the charming Renaissance Faire world where she set her first novel, Well Met. Stacey, who was a happy-go-lucky side character in Well Met, turns out to have hidden depths in this poignant, funny romance.

Stacey's life stalled out a half-decade before, and she's been going through the motions at work, home, and Faire, until the engagement of her friends jolts her to the realization of a what a rut she's in, and causes her to send a spontaneous, drunken Facebook message that will have surprising results for her future.

Huzzah! We are back at the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire folks and it never felt so good!! DeLuca brings back all the turkey legs, pirates, knights, dueling musicians in kilts, and tavern wenches a-plenty. What can I say? I loved this book with my whole heart.

That's right. I honestly didn't think my love for Well Met would be topped, but DeLuca has done something, few in my opinion, manage to do. She wrote a completely brilliant sequel.

In this book, DeLuca takes us back to the faire and this time we follow Stacey, on her journey of self discovery, growth, and perhaps finding a bit of love. It didn't take me long to completely fall in love with Stacey just like I did with Emily from the first book. Stacey is one of those rare characters that I think everyone will see a bit of themselves inside. She will make you laugh, cry, cheer, and want to drink a pumpkin spice latte. Stacey is the real deal. I loved getting to know her.

I also loved getting to know Daniel. He will make you swoon and want to sing Irish tavern songs. Beware. Oh and speaking of Emily, we get to see what she is up to with her sexy pirate Captain Blackthorne. It was so GOOD to see them again!!

This book had me staying up way too late reading because I literally couldn't put it down. It made me laugh out loud, cheer, swoon, start sweating profusely (ahem Chapter 17, that's all I'm saying), tear up, and basically have all the feels. Huzzah!

Get this one on your must read list. You won't regret coming back the the faire! A huge thank you to NetGalley and Berkely Romance for an eARC of this book.

Well Met was such a surprising delight when I picked it up on a whim, so when I saw Jen was doing more I was thrilled. When Well Played showed up on my request list, I was even more excited.

Reading this was wonderful, however, I feel it lacked something that I can't quite pinpoint. I really enjoyed it for the most part, but I think the lack of real interaction between Daniel and Stacey really took away from the believability of them as a couple. Daniel also was just not learning at all and then, in the end, Stacey has to go to him? He did not fight for her!! It was so frustrating because I just did not think she was in the wrong at all. He barely apologized and he LEFT? I didn't understand the character decisions that were made in this one and I really just missed Simon and Emily in those moments.

Overall, I did enjoy this but the ending, in particular, did not quite satisfy what I'd hoped for this book.

Last summer, Well Met by Jen DeLuca had me wanting to pack a corset and head to the nearest renaissance fair. After doing a little happy dance that I received an early copy of the new sequel, Well Played (thanks Berkley!), I dove into it and read it over the course of two days. Well Played is an excellent follow up to Well Met - fans of the first book get to see the continued story of Emily and Simon, while discovering who Stacey (Emily's friend from the first novel) is outside of the Faire and her character as a bar maiden.

The great part of Jen DeLuca's books is that they give the reader the perfect blend of historical and contemporary romance. She gives readers pirates and barmaids as well as bookshop managers and receptionists - you get the fantasy of a pirate wooing a lady, while also getting the realism of texting miscommunication. Plot-wise, Well Played hit the sweet spot of a balance between dramatic moments and realism. I was really impressed that the miscommunications between Stacey and her love interest actually seemed grounded in reality and the fights they got into were mostly healed by good old-fashioned healthy communication.

Unlike Well Met, Well Played takes place over the span of a year - a huge departure that made a ton of sense for Stacey's story. Since this book is focused heavily on her figuring out what she wants for her (real, non-Faire) life, it made a lot of sense to set this book mostly during her day to day life. Taking the Faire (and the fantasy life Stacey lived during it) out of the equation forced her to reckon with what she actually wanted versus the expectations of those around her. The author also strategically deployed time jumps to prevent slumps in the plot - they also helped a lot with the development of Stacey's romance and avoiding too much mundaneness from seeping into the story.

Stacey was an unexpectedly great lead for this book - she wasn't super well developed in Well Met, so I wasn't sure how well she would shine in her own book. Luckily, my expectations were off base, and Stacey was a great, heartwarming lead. She began the book in a state of uncertainty - she's not sure if her heart is in staying around Willow Creek, but she felt a sense of obligation towards her aging parents. She had skipped major career opportunities in years prior, and she was reckoning with what could have been. Naturally, the majority of the book was about her wrangling with her own desires for her life as well as the expectations and (falsely assumed) obligations to friends and family. By the end of the book she had truly become the person she was meant to be - she had experienced a full arc of character growth and had learned how to better manage the expectations put on her. I also really liked that she was a plus-sized character who didn't fixate on losing weight or conforming to societal (unrealistic) norms - she was confident in who she was.

Ok - so what about the romance? The romance in this book felt very reminiscent of The Flatshare by Beth O'Leary - the two main love interests only communicated via texts and emails for the majority of the book. Even without face to face interactions, Stacey and Dex (or is it Dex?) quickly develop a great rapport and fiery chemistry. Not having face to face interactions took physical attraction mostly out of the equation - they had to fall in love with each other’s personalities alone which was really refreshing. It felt genuine and like they were actually building a solid foundation for a life together. When they finally did come face to face, the sparks flew (though in unexpected directions) and created a romance as sweet as Emily and Simon's (from Well Met).

Overall, I think Well Played is an excellent follow up to the phenomenal Well Met. It hits the sweet spot of enough drama to drive the plot forward, while still staying realistic. Also, it has a healthy dose of renaissance costumes (and men in kilts) and an uber-sweet romance. This book would be perfect for someone debating on dipping their toes into historical romances or anyone looking for a cute read. If you haven't already read Well Met, you have plenty of kilts and ren-faire action ahead of you! 5/5

I loved <em>Well Met</em>, the first in the series by Jen DeLuca so I jumped at the chance to get my hands on this one!

You don't need to read the first book to enjoy this story but it does help with some of the characters and the setting.

Stacy has stayed in the small town because of her mom and because she loves the once a year Renaissance faire that she helps organize. But this year she feels left out and more importantly, left behind as one of her friends gets engaged and she feels like nothing has changed for her. Enter Dex, a hot fool around buddy. But when she starts to text him and he seems very different than he does in real life, Stacy starts falling for him hard. Little does she know..

I guess I shouldn't give anything away, though I'm sure you can kinda tell from the synopsis what's going on. I will say that I had high hopes for this book and I enjoyed it but not as much as I hoped.

>Stacy was a little hard for me. She wasn't unlikeable but because she was unstatisfied with her life, with little direction of her own, she was hard for me to like. It's also kinda obvious what is happening very early on in the book, which isn't a bad thing. But then the big reveal wasn't really shocking, even though Stacy made it seem like it.

The other thing is "Dex" really doesn't fight for Stacy. There's a few times in the book that these misunderstandings happen and Stacy is all ready to talk about it and forgive, but "Dex" just lets her go. I'm sorry, what? Shouldn't he fight harder for her? And shouldn't she fight harder for herself?

The ending also was a little out of left field for me. It seemed right for the characters, but also rushed.
It's a cute story and a solid sequel. I wasn't in love with it the way I was with the first book but it held my interest and the setting is so charming it's easy to slip back in with these characters.

Fans who liked the first book shouldn't miss this sequel.

I was absolutely delighted to return to Willow Creek and spend more time at the Renaissance Fair. I really enjoyed the first book, Well Met, earlier this year so was excited to get my hands on the next book and see how all of the characters I had grown fond of were doing.

Like many other romance series, this one takes place in the same town and had the Renaissance Fair, but the story is about two other characters from the first book. Simon and Emily are very much a part of the story, which was wonderful, but it is no longer their story.

I related to Stacey immediately and her feelings of being stuck. I think many people have felt the same way at some point in their lives. She is comfortable with being stuck though and it does take quite a bit to get her to up and do something about it. Her first step was to start up an email and texting correspondence with ‘Dex’, and to realize that there might be more to life than her apartment and her cat. Her cat Benedict, was adorable and the perfect companion by the way, I just adored him. I really enjoyed the emails and texting between her and ‘Dex’, even though we know pretty quickly that it isn’t him. It was fun watching her figure it out.

I really liked the guy she ends up with as well. (Don’t want to say who, cause no spoilers) He was charming and kind and someone that Stacey really deserved. He also had a sense of humor and also felt stuck just like Stacey. He was a bit of a jerk for not revealing who he really is before she figured it out and confronted him. But I like to think that maybe he had planned some big romantic reveal, just cause he seemed like that kind of guy.

Like I mentioned before, the reader pretty much knows from the start that she isn’t corresponding with Dex, but there are some nice twists and surprises when the truth comes out, so it was okay that we knew. The pacing and writing is excellent and really made it an enticing read that was hard to put down.

If you enjoyed the first book, then you will definitely enjoy this one as well. I hope the author continues this series as I would love to see April and Mitch get together next, which was hinted at a bit in this book. But even if those two don’t get together I would love to see their stories.