2.5 Stars

CWs: Some exploration of internalized fatphobia; brief references to chronic illness; sexual content

As someone who really enjoyed Well Met, I'm surprised to say that I was somewhat disappointed with Well Played.

While the first book heavily revolves around Emily discovering the Renaissance Faire circuit and becoming part of a vibrant community that helps her find a new purpose in life, Well Played takes a very different route in that a large portion of the story takes place during the off-season. Because the Faire is what ties this romance trilogy together, I was hoping to see more of it, and without that draw, there isn't anything particularly compelling about this companion/sequel, at least for me.

The main element I struggled with was the "mysterious messenger" trope. While I think it's fun to explore the trope of mistaken identity and the phenomenon of falling in love with "the wrong person," the problem lies in that the true identity of Stacey's suitor is entirely obvious from the first chapter. I will couch that criticism by clarifying that I don't think that "predictability" is a bad thing or an indication of "bad writing," in any sense. As readers, we have to believe a story when something is revealed to us, and if we're able to predict what's going to happen, that means the writing is doing what it's supposed to do.

So, no, I don't think it's inherently a bad thing to know who's the real love interest, but I also think it's hard for the story to maintain that kind of narrative tension when it's no secret who's really behind these "love notes." And because the love interest is obvious, it feels like the courting portion of the story goes on for entirely too long. You already know there's going to be a confrontation where Stacey and her love interest hash out their miscommunication, and because it's obvious that the romance can't go forward *without* that confrontation, it's hard to stay invested in this prolonged courtship.

And then, frankly, when they do inevitably get together, it's sweet and endearing, but it's ultimately not much of a standout romance—again, at least for me. So the pay-off ultimately doesn't balance out the prolonged waiting.

I also wanted to see more personal progression with Stacey *outside* of the romance. Her main conflict is that she feels lost in life because she put off her career to stay home and help her mom work through her illness. But it feels like that choice, that confusion, is sanctified or validated only *because* she made a selfless choice, and not because the corporate ladder and our definitions of "success" are not a conducive framework for everyone's well-being or happiness. Then it seems like the romantic relationship she falls into acts as a solution to her conflict. She doesn't change anything about herself or her situation; instead her life is changed or "improved" after she falls in love with a guy and molds her life to fit his. I thought that conflict could've been pushed further and I didn't really vibe with the latent messages underscoring how it was handled.

If I'm being honest, I think this book is merely acting as connective tissue between Books 1 and 3, which are about the two sisters. All I can say is that if I do pick up the third book (which I'm only considering because A) fake dating is my favorite trope and B) I tend to be a completionist) it will have to be through my library.

Ultimately, this story still has sweet, heartwarming, and even funny moments, and it definitely wasn't the worst way to spend a couple of days, either. I'm sad to report that I didn't love it as much as the first book, but I'm still glad I gave it a chance.

I loved, loved Well Met. I was not expecting to love Well Played even more. But oh boy did I.

Finally, FINALLY, I got my ginger boy. I could almost cry. Daniel is perfect. Perfection. He wouldn’t have to ask me twice to come on the road with him. I could see myself living the Renaissance life. No problem.

And Stacey. Wow. I see myself in her so, so much. Her figure, her cat, her insecurities. ITS ME. She is officially one of my favorite MCs ever now.

And I love that we got to see more of Emily and Simon. Simon still is swoon worthy.

I also love we get to see April and more of her sense of humor. Along with Mitch.

Most definitely 5 out of 5. Recommended to anyone who loves romcoms.

Once again, another cute read in this series! I always love the Ren fair setting and the characters were a lot of fun. It wasn’t super memorable but it was definitely entertaining. Thank you Netgalley for my free copy!

Mais um livro fofo para a conta!



Well Played conta a história de Stacey, uma garota que tinha muitos sonhos, todos longe da pequena cidade de Willow Creek. Quando sua mãe sofre um ataque do coração, Stacey acaba voltando para casa e perdendo uma oportunidade de emprego em Nova York. Agora algum tempo se passou, sua mãe já está recuperada e ela quer seguir em frente, mas não sabe como. Quando ela começa a se corresponder com Dex MacLean, seu caso de verão que acontece durante a Feira da Renascença, Stacey começa a rever algumas coisas em sua vida e vai se apaixonando cada vez mais por Dex. Acontece que quem se corresponde com Stacey não é Dex e sim uma outra pessoa.



A narrativa da autora é bem gostosinha e tem um clima nerd que eu adorei. Imagina todo verão se vestir como se vestiam as pessoas na época medieval e viver uma feira voltada para isso? Bem legal né?



Porém algumas coisas me deixaram bem chateada com esse livro, Stacey é uma personagem que tinha toda a razão de ficar chateada com o engodo que foi submetida, mas de alguma forma ela se torna uma espécie de vilã que não dá uma chance ao pobre Daniel que a enganou o verão inteiro.

Isso pra mim é inconcebível, se o mocinho vacilou, ele deve arcar com as consequências disso.



Daniel é o personagem que finge ser Dex, que é seu primo. Ele fala sobre Stacey de uma maneira que eu não gostei e foge ao invés de pedir desculpas de forma adequada. Por mim Stacey ficaria sozinha.



O que salva o livro é que os persongens secundários são muito bons e a protagonista apesar de ser bem manipulável, também é bem legal.

I’m not saying Well Played had second book syndrome, but I definitely didn’t love it nearly as much as the first book, Well Met.

To be fair, I went into this book knowing I probably wouldn’t enjoy it as much but hopeful that I’d be wrong. When it came to the first book, Well Met, one of the biggest draws for me was that it was a Ren Faire rom-com. While the Faire still comes up in Well Played, it isn’t as prominent and I feel like a lot of the charm the Ren Faire held in the first book was lost and we’re left with… a motel and an apartment.

Stacey appeared in Well Met and becomes the star of Well Played as she attempts to escape her so-called boring life. The only thing is that she not only had a boring life that played out on page as such, but as a character she was pretty dull too. I felt like she had so much personality in the first book but this time around it was just… meh. I wasn’t engaged with her story or interested in the outcome, especially with how this romance went down.

A good chunk of this book is a catfishing scenario and I was not here for it. If the truth had come out sooner? Okay, I might have bought into it a bit more. But their conversations lasted a year and then Stacey gets over the fact that it wasn’t Dex (the guy she thought it was) so fast. Like, she was angry but then it was fine and she was moving forward. It all struck me as unrealistic to the point that I couldn’t suspend belief anymore.

And where was the humor? Not only does the synopsis promise a “laugh-out-loud romantic comedy,” but I was expecting it too based on the previous book. I didn’t find it, though. Well Played was lacking that spark, that hook, to draw me in. Faced with reading about a character that wasn’t actually interested in changing her life (only talking about how boring it was) and a relationship that made catfishing out to be acceptable, I struggled to push through to the end. I wish this book had gone deeper into Stacey’s character because it read like a side character who was suddenly the protagonist and couldn’t keep up.

Well Played put a bad taste in my mouth but my love of Well Met means I’ll likely pick up the next book in the hopes this one was a one-off. And if it isn’t clear, I highly recommend Well Met. I just can’t say the same for the sequel.

I read this one AGES ago but never got around to reviewing it. It was an absolute joy to return to the Willow Creek Renaissance Fair for a few hours. I love the crew and characters so much. I really liked Stacey in Well Met, so I was thrilled to get her story. (And I was also super excited to see Simon and Emily again, too. *heart eyes forever*) Stacey and "Dex" were so great and their story gave me all the feels. Now I'm back to (im)patiently waiting for April and Mitch's book!

So this sequel wasn't wanted I expected and I enjoyed the first book in the series much better. Overall, this was really entertaining and follows Stacey, Emily's best friend. I could totally understand Stacey's feelings of feeling stuck in a town where you feel like all of your friends are moving through life; but you feel like are you aren't. Wow, the reliability was high with Stacey there. So Stacey the previous summer hooked up with Dex and after a drunken night she misses him and thinks she sends a message to him, but instead she posts to the Renaissance Fair page and she thinks that Dex has texted back.

Between a year and some change of exchanging e-mails and texts she realizes that it's not Dex she' s been talking to, but rather his cousin, Daniel. But for me, it dragged a bit with a time jump when I just wanted her to figure out who she was actually and have the romance get going. For me, I was trying to figure out why she only figured out that the e-mails was Dex cousin PAST THE HALFWAY MARK and then felt like the it was trying to speed up ans then it was the resolution. I'm also intrigued to read about Mitch and April's story, because that dynamic is going to be top tier.

ARC generously provided by Netgalley

While I loved Book 1, this was a huge miss for me.

What I liked:
- All the side characters. Special shoutout to Mitch and April, and Stacey's mom

What I didn't like:
- The catfishing plot
- I would have been fine with it if the hero had apologized and groveled more. I understand his reasons, but it was still wrong. I don't need the heroine coming for the hero and asking him to apologize to her, talk to her, and solve the issue.
- The same thing happening at the third act conflict. The hero just kept running away after every conflict, and the heroine would go after him and demand his apology, demand communication.
- The character development of the heroine and the hero was non-existent. I can let go of hero's growth coz this book was entirely from the heroine's POV. But the heroine also had no growth till the 95%.

The entire story and the plot weren't just for me. The kind of characters they were, their personalities, I just couldn't relate.

Revisit your favorite Faire in Willow Creek! A delightful case of mistaken identity! I absolutely love this series and enjoyed being able to see plenty of Simon & Emily throughout this story, so if you haven't read the first book, Well Met, go do that now.

If you enjoy movies like While You Were Sleeping and You've Got Mail, then this will be one of your favorite reads this year. Filled with plenty of romance and laughter, but the characters actually get to know each other on a personal level, due to exchanging emails over the course of months.

I'm looking forward to the next book in the series and will binge-read these again before it releases. This is also the perfect summer read or to take with you on vacation. Such a feel-good romcom, you can't go wrong!

Gosh it was so fun to return to this Ren Faire loving world! Stacy is such a fun, sassy character and it was so nice to see her get her happy ending! The journey wasn't easy, but the banter and steam was there! I can't wait to return to this world again and again. I hope Jen continues writing such fabulous geeky loving books for us because I simply cannot get enough

Could not get into this one and was SO dissapointed because Well Met is one of my fav books. Tried both reading and the audio and just didn’t catch me like Well Met did which was devastating. May try again in the futures!!

Well Played was a highly anticipated return to the Willow Creek for a second year for the Renaissance Fair adventures with beloved characters from Well Met. While Stacey wasn't one of my favourite characters from Well Met, it was nice to hear a little more of her story and where she was headed with her life. I was concerned it would be a little repetitive from the previous book, and to be honest at times it did feel a little too similar, but the story was still cute and endearing regardless. I loved the steam levels, I mean I could have had more, but this was so tastefully and wonderfully done it still worked for me!

Well Played can absolutely be a standalone if you haven't read Well Met, and I think a lot liked one or the other and some who liked both! I'm on the fence here which I liked better, but either way, it's a cute and quick quirky romance.

Ahhhhh! I loved this! It's even better than Well Met, and I loved that one too! This book gives us a romance that develops through text messaging and mistaken identities. Stacey believes she's texting Dex, the man she's had a crush on for quite some time. She's completely delighted that this man who is... not too deep or easy to connect with is all of a sudden such a great conversationalist. The reader knows who Stacey is texting, but it takes her a while to figure it out on her own. And luckily it doesn't take too too long, because I get bored with this trope and frustrated by the deception after a while. Jen DeLuca moved things along at the perfect pace for me. I'm glad that this relationship is given the chance to flourish and grown once the truth is out there, because if the reveal had happened at the end in a "You've Got Mail" style of, "Oh my goodness, it's you. I wanted it to be you." and then the book ended I would've thrown something!

I love the Ren Faire setting. I've always heard of these events, but never felt all that interested in attending one. This series makes me want to dress up and go pretend! Stacey is easy to relate to, and the romance is so, so sweet. The man she discovers she's been texting is wonderful. So much better than Dex. I love Jen's writing and her characters, and I cannot wait for the next book in the series!

(the review link will not work until 4/29/21)

I really enjoyed Well Met, but this one didn't come anywhere close to it. I found the characters unable to stand on their own and found the romance to be problematic..lying/cat fishing.. not cool! I actually didn't want these two to end up together. I also am a sucker for Renaissance festivals. In Well Met, the setting was so central to the plot, but here it felt like more of a sideshow.

I listened to this one and it’s the same narrator than American Royals, which I really like. It took me a while to get out of the feeling that Beatrice was reading this to me 😂😂

📃 This one doesn’t have as much Ren-fair as Well Met, that was fine with me. It was entertaining and fun but not memorable. I had low expectations because of mixed reviews I’ve seen but I was pleasantly surprised because it was fine. That’s how I would describe this book, fine.

7.5-8 ⭐️

👎🏼 I had to skip a very long sex scene.
👍🏼 Nice to see Simon and Emily again.

Didn't enjoy as much as the first one in the series. Imminently readable, and will definitely read the next.

I absolutely loved Well Met so I knew I would love Well Played just as much! I loved both the characters and the storyline

"Well Played" is the sequel to Jen DeLuca's novel, "Well-Met" that follows up with Stacy, a character from the first book. "Well Played" falls a bit short. Readers hoping for a lot of Ren Faire content will find it lacking and it's difficult to root for a relationship that's established through catfishing.

I loved the first book so much I had to read the second book almost immediately! and it did not disappoint. Well Played was the perfect return to Willow Creek and the Ren Faire world. I loved delving more into Stacey's character. She was definitely relatable. And I loved how this book kept the story from book one going. Can't recommend this book enough. I am eagerly awaiting book 3.

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.

This was just okay. Idk, maybe these books aren't really for me? Like, I didn't care much for these characters and that just makes me sad because I know a lot of people loved the first book. The main issue for me is that there was a lot of back and forth between these characters. It's been over a year. There should've at least been phone calls or social media considering the heroine uses Instagram a lot. Or have they heard of snapchat, you know? Also, the ending was just too easy.