Rating: 4.5 Stars

It was so wonderful to be back in Willow Creek! I have been hooked on this series since I first read Well Met. The characters, the faire, the romance are all combined in a perfect way for me. Though I have loved each and every book, I think I now have a favorite.

Mitch and April have been standout characters the entire series. I loved the humor Mitch brought to the table, and I adored the way April was tough-as-nails. You could tell something was simmering between the two for quite a while, and needless to say, I was beyond excited to see them finally act on that attraction.

But it wasn’t just about the heat and the chemistry, there was a connection between the two that I could not argue with. I know we often read the “you really see me” thing, but they really did see each other. Everyone had these opinions about Mitch based on surface experiences, but April saw beyond that. I must say, it was a pleasure really getting to know Mitch.

But honestly, my love for this book lies with April. I related to her on such a deep level. Like April, I was a single mom, and I made choices in my life not thinking of my wants and needs, but rather, what was best for my daughter. There’s also that point where the child that was the center of your life leaves home, and you have to figure out who you are now that the mom-ing is winding down. I felt like I really understood her, and I appreciated her journey so much because of that. I was bursting for joy as she took those steps forward in her life. So wonderful and really satisfying too.

As I was reading this book, I was worried it would be my last visit to Willow Creek. Needless to say I was flailing when I saw an announcement for book #4.

DeLuca did my favorite pairing justice in this book. She let me get to know them on a deeper level as they embarked on a sweet romance filled with sparks, fire, and lots of feels. Another wonderful addition to a series that I hope never ends.

Jen DeLuca is a delight. Every character in her books is a delight. The stories are a delight! I have never been disappointed by a Jen Deluca book and this Well series is just delightful. This is a fantastic read and I encourage anyone who loves a little love in there lives to check this book out as soon as it is published!

In Well Matched, we have April’s story. Her daughter is going off to college and she is getting ready to move and asked Mitch to help her prepare the house. In exchange, she will pretend to be Mitch’s girlfriend at a family reunion. Pretty soon it gets hard to tell what is fake and what is real.

I was so happy to see Mitch as the love interest in this one, I have loved him since book one. While I wouldn’t have initially thought of him and April as a couple, I loved them! They were such a sweet couple and I loved seeing them let their guards down and really open up to each other. I also loved that April finally volunteered at the Faire so we were able to get some of those scenes. I loved this book!

I recommend starting with Well Met to get some Red Faire background before reading this. The whole series is great so you really should just go ahead and read them all!

Thank you to Berkley for the advanced copy

In the first two books of this series, we met single mom April Parker who was a little bit of an introvert. We also met the kilted man, also known as high school coach Mitch Malone who is known for his hookups at the local bar. In this book, Mitch needs someone to go to a family function with him. Apparently his family doesn't believe that he is really grown up and he thinks that having a steady relationship (with a woman who is 9 years older) might force them to open their eyes. April isn't excited about it at first but then, she realizes that Mitch can help her fix up her house. Ever since she moved to town, she's been anxious to get away. She would have rather lived in a big city but she stayed so her daughter would have a community. But now her daughter is about to graduate and freedom is within her grasp.
However, a weekend with one bed means that the sparks between April and Mitch are going to flame. But April has one foot out the door. And she's also dealing with the fact that her daughter's father, after eighteen years, has gotten in touch. How could her life possibly get more complicated
The flow of this story was fairly lovely but I felt like some things were either resolved too quickly or left unresolved. Still hope there's another in the series.

Four stars
This book comes out October 19th, 2021
Follows Well Played
ARC kindly provided by NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group
Opinions are my own

I love returning back to the Willow Creek Ren Faire setting! Missed all these characters and this read was one of my anticipated reads this year. Mitch and April can be seen in the previous books of this series and this third instalment is their story. Looking back at those books you can see where their relationship starts to blossom.
The fake dating trope is a fun one to read, and when Mitch needs a date to impress his family April sees the opportunity to get him to help her, but these two can’t fake the real attraction they have to one another.
This was a super cute fast read, I was really excited about it, and it makes me want to reread Well Met again, which is still my all-time favourite. Loved all the cute moments, especially at the Renaissance Faire, and a few twists that put April and Mitch into some doubt and heartache. Mitch also is a buff cupcake sweetheart and April is the grumpy bean, which made me fall and root for this romance.
Overall a cute and fast read, I cannot get enough out of this series.

Something Spoilery:

I’ve seen Jen Deluca hinting at Ren Faire #4, but after reading Well Matched I’m hoping it’s Lulu. I cannot wait till Caitlin gets her story but I would be interested in seeing more of Lulu and what magic she can find through the Willow Creek Ren Faire.

My favorite book in the series hands down! April and Mitch’s blossoming story is extra swoon worthy.

I didn't love the heroine but I did sympathize with her. I haven't read the others in the series yet but love the ren fair setting and would have liked a little more of it in this book. Overall a fun story and enjoyable read.

I liked this book better than the other two in the series. April and Mitch made such a cute couple and I love fake dating troupes. Her dynamic with Caitlin and Emily was fun to watch. I am hoping we get Lulu’s story next!!

This is the 3rd in Well Met Series. I love the Renaissance faire and I'm so glad to be back in this world.

In this book April who is a 40 something single mother with a 18 yo is about to start her life for herself. It's hard to raise a child with a partner and do self-care or do things for yourself, I couldn't imagine doing it alone.

The father is trying to get back in the picture for some reason, blergh he's just useless.

The very popular Mitch asks April to be his pretend girlfriend for a family dinner. She agrees since he agreed to help renovate her home. And he helps support her when he biological father shows up.

But turns out the fake relationship turns into a hotel room with one bed. 🔥🔥

Mitch the consummate lady's man turns out to be not quite what April thought.

April also thought she wanted to leave this small town and live in a big city but as she spent more time with Mitch she realized some things about herself. And the ren faire.

I love these love stories with the characters that are all popular in their place but when they go home or to see family they are possibly the black sheep or not even close to being popular. 

Such a cute love story and great addition to this series! 

Thank you berkleyromance and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

Another year, another Faire, and perhaps the pairing that Jen DeLuca fans have all been waiting for. Emily's (Well Met) sister April is getting her house ready to sell and their friend Mitch offers to help. Best known as a popular gym teacher and kilted Scotsman during Ren Faire, Mitch is easy-going and the life of every party. He and April have always been more frenemies than friends, but they discover they can help each other out: she needs another set of hands for home renovations, he needs a pretend girlfriend for a family dinner to get his family to take him more seriously. One stained deck turns into multiple projects, one family dinner turns into a family weekend. April and Mitch discover things about each other, the most important being how well they work together. But April has been hurt badly before and is used to doing everything for herself and not letting her walls down for anyone. Can the Faire do its magic and match Mitch and April?

You can virtually guarantee that when two people who don't really like each other are forced to spend time together, they discover a completely different person beneath that annoying surface facade. Mitch's facade has been the happy-go-lucky jock since day one, the player who's dated every woman in town. Readers have guessed there's more to him than that, and we've all been waiting to see it. Well Matched takes its time peeling back his layers since we see him from April's point of view but even if this is your first book in the series you know instantly that Mitch has more going on than he lets us see. What I liked was that so does April, and Deluca does a skillful job of showing April and Mitch mirror each other's insecurities. The difference is that we seen April having her internal meltdowns while looking (mostly) calm on the outside, we can only guess at the mental dialogue going on in Mitch's brain. They are both the swan looking calm while paddling madly below the water line and hoping nobody sees.

I loved April and really related to her. She's a loner, perhaps by personality, definitely helped by the emotional and psychological blows dealt to her by her husband divorcing her while she was pregnant. She panics around people or when she becomes the center of attention, and pretty much just wants to move to a city because there you are almost expected to be anonymous. That has always been her plan so why change now? She's always defined herself as a mom and never thought about what would make her happy for herself. Now that Mitch is making her question her plans and comfort zones, April has to decide if happiness is worth facing her fears.

Well Matched contains some lovely scenes between April and Caitlin as Caitlin reaches graduation that would make any parent tear up (I did and I'm not even a parent!); some delightfully sizzling encounters between April and Mitch; wonderful girl time with April, Stacey, and Emily; Ren Faire magic; and hot guys in kilts. Something for everyone to enjoy! Jen DeLuca once again entrances with a lovely romance story readers won't be able to put down. Huzzah!

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

I was thrilled to have been approved to read the Well Matched arc because I’m a huge fan of Well Met. I loved that we would get to read the story of Emily’s sister, April and the muscular, kilt-wearing gym teacher, Mitch.

The banter between the two building up to this story was so good and when the two decided to start fake dating to make Mitch’s family back off about settling down, had me eagerly indulging in the book. April’s and Mitch’s chemistry was on fire and the tender moments Mitch displayed with April had me swooning.

April was very relatable as an invert myself. As she tried to avoid being the topic of gossip, I completely understood that feeling and her insecurities.

What I will say is I wished we got to know Mitch a bit more on a deeper level but I thoroughly enjoyed my time reading this story.

Thank you Berkley for the arc. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Jen DeLuca takes the fake relationship trope and makes it feel fresh and fun in Well Matched. I’ve been waiting for Mitch and April’s story since I saw their instant chemistry in previous Well Met books and DeLuca did not disappoint.

I liked April well enough in Well Met and Well Played, but she grabbed my interested the second we got her point of view. I loved that she’s an introvert, hates being gossiped about, and is a bit in her shell at the start of this book. At forty, the hardworking single mother and soon-to-be empty-nester is ready to leave the small town she raised her daughter in and start living her life for herself. She’s never regretted putting her daughter first but she’s had a set plan for herself for some time. In order to sell her house, she needs to do some minor renovations, so it seems like a perfect opportunity to get some help when Mitch asks her to pose as his girlfriend in front of his family. Mitch is her opposite in many ways. The outgoing, friendly gym teacher and coach who never seems to take life too seriously and is a total player who looks red-hot in a kilt would never be the guy for her, even if he weren’t nine years younger. Except somewhere along the line between pretending to be in a relationship and actually spending time together, April and Mitch are drawn to each other. Attraction, friendship, and seeing beneath the surface make it impossible for them not to fall for each other. Except their friends-with-benefits relationship can never become something lasting…can it?

If April is the slightly grumpy one, Mitch is the sunshine one in this pairing and oh man, did I love him. Mitch is sexy as sin and can work a kilt like no one else, but that’s not what makes him special. He’s got a kind heart and cares deeply, which made me smile and sigh. Then there are the hidden vulnerabilities that come from his family thinking less of him because of what he does. April sees Mitch for all that he is and as she does so she starts to come out of her shell. I loved her relationship with her daughter, Caitlin, but it was even better to see April slowly put herself out there. She didn’t have to change who she was but her life grew as she did. I hated to put Well Matched down because I was so into April and Mitch’s romance and April’s personal journey. Whether you’re new to DeLuca’s books or are already a fan of Willow Creek and its delightful Ren Faire, this is a romance that will make you smile. I finished Well Matched a well-satisfied reader and I cannot wait see what DeLuca comes up with next.

I expected better from this book based on the description honestly. The first half of the book was focused on talking about renovations which was understandable I guess as it was based on April and Mitch’s conditions but it got boring to read at times. At many times the unwillingness to communicate from April’s end got frustrating as a reader. Like come on you’re 40, I would hope you learn to communicate your feelings, thoughts and insecurities. I wish she had more development.

Loved the side characters (Emily and Lulu), who added more to the book! But I also really liked how this book portrayed that it’s never too late for new beginnings and how not everyone thinks their happy endings involve kids (it’s rare in romance books).

If you like the following: age gap, single mom, friends to lovers, fake dating, one bed-trope, “look what you do to me” ;), try this book!

I've been waiting to see how this story played out since the sprinkles of it in the previous books and, honestly, it was worth it. That being said, the Jen DeLuca either takes too long or too short on some tropes so depending on preference your mileage may very.

I loved the third book in the #WellMet series. Well Matched is the third book that’s set again the backdrop of a small town High School’s annual summer Renaissance Faire.

This time we get the love story of our favorite kilted hunk, Mitch, and April AKA Emily’s sister from Book 1. I adored Mitch and April’s love story. He’s just the best!!

Now how do we petition to get this series made into a tv series?

4.5 rounded up

I loved being back in the Well Met Universe. If you read this book, I recommend reading Well Met first. It could be read as a stand-alone but I think there was a lot of info given in the first book that would be helpful to know. I loved all the supporting characters and was so fun to reunite with them.

I loved Mitch. He had layers to him and I enjoyed the romance with April. I’m not the biggest fan of miscommunications but I do love the fake dating trope so this was a fun read.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley for an advanced copy. Opinions are my own.

If you’re a fan of the fake girlfriend/boyfriend trope then this is one you’ll enjoy.
Mitch has to go to his grandparents anniversary party and needs a date. April has been raising her daughter by herself and is the perfect choice because she’s not looking for any attachment whatsoever. Of course, what they don’t expect is that pretending to be in love leads them to the real thing. Despite the towns obsession with the Renaissance Fair, April doesn’t feel the draw that even her own daughter does to it, but she can’t deny how hot Mitch looks in his kilt and his enthusiasm begins to break down her walls and she sees that maybe she can open herself up to more than just her daughter and her sister without regrets.
I loved seeing April step out of her comfort zone and loved her life for herself finally, but I wish there was more backstory to her and her sisters relationship, which I understand is covered in previous books. This can definitely be read as a stand-alone (obviously lol) but I think the reader would get greater enjoyment out of it having read the two previous books.
Cute and quick, if you’re a rom-com lover, you’ll enjoy this :)
Thanks to Berkley Publishers and Netgalley for this Arc in exchange for my review.

A huge thank you to PRH International, Berkley Pub & NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review!

4⭐️ 4🌶

I loved this so much!!!

This had some of my fave tropes ever so it was no surprise how much I was invested from the start! From the fake dating trope, single parent trope to older woman/younger man trope, their romance had given me all the feels! I especially loved the premise of them having to fake date for Mitch’s family gathering then having to extend that ruse when his family decided to surprise them over the Renaissance Faire weekend.

It was so entertaining seeing April and Mitch deal with their feelings while keeping up their fake dating act only for them to see that none of it might be fake anymore. Despite all that, I just loved seeing their every moment together! They had me swooning, laughing out loud and even tearing up. Their banter and chemistry was SO GOOD! And the sexual tension was fiery! I felt that the smut was much steamier here compared to the other books which I absolutely loved!

And with April being the older woman and single parent in their relationship, it added to her growing insecurity. On top of that, her daughter is off to college and those two brough about change that April wasn’t ready for. Ultimately, I loved her character journey in this book from feeling like an outsider to discovering the beauty of being a part of the small community of Willow Creek. The role Mitch played in her life was so heartwarming and essential, it just gave me more reasons to love him more than I already do!

Mitch was a large-than-life character in this series so getting to know him, his family and his personality around someone he cares for was everything!

The Renaissance Faire scenes were of course, my favorite still! It was extra interesting seeing this event in the eyes of someone who hasn’t been a part of it and is slowly discovering the communal feel and escapism it gives. Also, It was so nice seeing all the other characters again together in costume and outside of RF!

Overall, this was a fast-paced, heartfelt and sweet read with a bit of angst! It’s currently my second fave in the series given how much I loved April and Mitch together and individually. Their story had me swooning, laughing and crying in the best ways and highly recommend this if you’re a fan of tropes such as fake dating, single parent, older woman/younger man and “there’s only one bed”!

All around amazing! A great read for everyone. It's a slow burn featuring the fake dating trope and an age gap. Mitch and April are perfect for eachother. There love story made my heart melt and brought me joy.

This one was really cute! I may have to go back and read the others in the series now. We have a single mom finding love at 40. It has always just been April and her daughter Caitlin. April agrees to be a pretend girlfriend to Mitch when he has to go to a family get together. April's daughter is about to graduate high school and April cannot wait to sell her house and get the heck out of that small town, but then she starts realizing how great the town really is. And how great Mitch is. She's been doing everything on her own for a long time so it is hard for her to allow a man to help her out. I got teary eyed at the end. I liked that April was not this perfect mom.

"Who wanted an antisocial walking panic attack for a wife?"

"Is there a word for dread yet proud yet worried?
"Probably one of those really long German words."