I never read romance novels, but this series attracted me because who doesn't love a good Ren Fest? I have been waiting for Mitch and April's story since the first book hinted that it was coming. The book did not disappoint! It was perfectly steamy balanced with the right amount of conflict and self discovery. I also feel that the ending was perfect for concluding the series. I hope to read more from DeLuca in the future!

I would die for Mitch.

I'm sorry, but he might be my favorite hero in this series. Who am I kidding? I'm not sorry. I love him so much, even Simon pales in comparison.

This book was such a fun, addictive read. And I'm not just saying this because I adore Mitch. I'm saying this because I also adore our protagonist, April. She's been through a lot and has built a wall around herself, and I loved watching her learn how to come out of her shell over the course of this book. Her dynamic with Mitch was so fun to watch, and did I mention there's the fake dating trope? And only one bed? This book spoils us.

Now, if you've read Jen DeLuca's previous books, you probably already have an idea of what to expect from the writing. It's grounded, relatable, with plenty of wit. What I love a lot about this book, that we didn't see much in the previous two, is the actual town of Willow Creek. We know the Ren Faire well by now, but through April's eyes we see the downsides of such a small town.

But don't worry, we still get some time on Faire grounds. It definitely isn't as big of a part of this book as it is the first, or even really the second, but I appreciated the glimpses of it we got. And the rest of the plot and characters made up for the lack of Renaissance escapism.

In the end, this was a fantastic installment in a series that made me spend way too much money on my own Ren Faire dress (no, technically Jen DeLuca didn't force me to buy it, but I am blaming her).

I'm going to miss Mitch and April, but I already cant wait for my next reread.

April is a single mother who is on the verge of being an empty nester. She had put up walls and is set to sell her house and move as soon as her daughter graduates high school. But April needs some things improved before she can put it on the market.

Mitch is the local gym teacher and Renaissance Faire kilt wearer and he has just been enlisted by April to help her with her home renovations, But he needs a favor in return, he needs a fake girlfriend to attend his grandparents anniversary weekend-get-together.

As they work together they start to learn more and more about each other They both have sides that anyone rarely sees but somehow they have opened up to one another. And the more April learns, the more she feels like she has shut too much out. As a matter of fact, she now finds herself volunteering/working the Renaissance Faire.

But as the home renovations wind down, the time draws closer for April to sell her house. Will she actually be able to say goodbye to the town and Mitch?

I loved the character development and depth. Mitch is struggling to be seen as more than just the gym teacher, especially with his family and April is finally letting go and letting people in.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Pub for the opportunity to read this. It was my first time reading a book by Jen Deluca and I look forward to reading more by her.

As a fan of this series, I always knew there was more to Mitch than the easy going player image he projected. In the third book of the Well Met series, Well Matched, we find Mitch in need of a girlfriend to take to a family function and he asks April to be his fake girlfriend. April thinks it will be a lark and asks in exchange for help getting her house fixed up to sell since her daughter will soon be leaving for college and she wants out of Willow Creek. After years of being a single mother, as an empty nester she wants to finally live for herself.

They find a mutual attraction and an easy friendship. At some point their relationship stops being transactional and starts becoming something real.

April’s growth as she discovers she does want roots; she does want to be part of something; she can be a “joiner” and not lose herself was a trajectory I could relate to.

As always I am impressed with Jen DeLuca’s unique and creative setting-a Renaissance Faire-that adds so much fun and escapism to her books.

Another fresh idea was the lead characters being beyond their twenties. April is 40 and that is a welcome change for a romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Though this wasn't my favorite of the series, that doesn't mean I won't keep reading any book that Jen DeLuca puts out.

I liked the plot toward the beginning, which was a fun take on the typical fake dating trope. As I got deeper into the story, it started to get more meh. The pacing felt off and I never really connected with April or Mitch. I think this entry suffered from having less Faire presence. That setting is what makes this series so fun and different!

After April’s daughter graduates from high school, she is determined to leave the small town of Willow Creek to start her life. When she needs help with a few home renovations, she asks Mitch to help her get her house ready to sale. All Mitch wants in exchange is for her to pretend to be his girlfriend at his family reunion. Sounds like a fair(e) trade right? When their fake relationship doesn’t feel so fake, April has to decide if she can change her plans for the future and let Mitch (and his kilt) in.

I wouldn’t consider myself a fan of Renaissance Faire, but I read this book as soon as I got approved for it on NetGalley. I love this series, and I love “visiting” the Willow Creek Faire each summer. I was so glad to see April and Mitch get their time to shine! I enjoyed this just as much as I enjoyed Well Met and Well Played - but read the series in order. You’ll love them all!

Thanks to @NetGalley and Berkley for my ARC! This isn’t out until October 19, 2021, but you should definitely preorder it.

2.5 stars. I am so, so bummed that I didn't love this one. I had been anxiously awaiting Mitch & April's story after feeling hints of it in the previous two books, but this didn't hit the notes that I was hoping it would. Mitch & April had SO much chemistry going into this book, but from page one everything about the set up of their relationship and their interactions felt really forced. I also feel like all the side-characters just felt like shadows of the previous versions we met and as a whole this just really didn't work for me and I am so sad to leave the series feeling this way. I will probably check out more from Jen Deluca in the future, but this one was a miss for me. Womp :c

This one is the mpst character focused of her series. I almost wish this is the last one, but theres probably 2-3 more to come. The concept is getting a little boring, but a nice light romance with some spice but not so much you can't reccomend it to a a new to the genre..

Let me preface this with my excitement at finally getting to read Mitch and April's story! Out of all 3, this one took a me a few days longer finish, and I'll tell you why. I was VERY invested in the folks of Willow Creek going into this third book. Emily, Simon, Stacey, Daniel, Mitch, April, and Caitlin. All. Of. Them. This one was the most emotional for me. April's situation was way more anxiety-ridden that I had to put it down a few times to calm myself before continuing on. That being said, I LOVED this one the most.

Mitch was just so genuinely lovable in the first two, that I couldn't wait for his happy ending. April was so presented as mysterious and emotionally reclusive in Well Met and Well Played that I was really happy to get to know her and what she was and why she did the things she did. There was so much more to her than just a hermit/recluse not invested in the town. She went through a lot to make sure Caitlin had a good life when it was just the two of them.

A phenomenal series that I will definitely read again, because Willow Creek was so well built out and the characters were amazing.

Mitch Malone needs a girlfriend to get his family off his back. April Parker, a soon-to-be empty nester, needs helping fixing up her house to sell. An agreement is struck and should be easy to stick to. No one needs to fall in love……right?

Well Matched was one of my most anticipated reads of 2021. I have loved Jen DeLuca’s Ren Faire rom-coms since Well Met, and I was even more excited when I learned this book was about Mitch and April. Both Mitch and April have been background characters in the previous two novels, but now we get to see them take center stage. I really liked learning more about both of these characters, and it definitely helped me understand their behavior in the previous books.

I loved Mitch and April together! April had a lot of shit to work through, but Mitch was a great MC for her. This book was adorable and I just had all the feels while reading it. And the Ren Faire as a back drop is always a particular favorite of mine.

If you are a fan of the series, you definitely won’t be disappointed by Well Matched! It is the perfect light-hearted rom-com for the fall! 4.5 stars.

I received a free digital ARC from NetGalley and Berkley in exchange for an honest review.

Swoon! I’ve been waiting for Mitch’s story since book one and it did not disappoint! Fake dating, age gap, small town, these are all the tropes I love! This is kilt-wearing, gym teacher, fun guy Mitch’s and single mom, soon too be empty nester, big sister to Emily, April’s story. Dare I say, this is also almost grump/sunshine too? Yep. I dare.

I will forever adore this series simply because I’m a ren faire nerd through and through so not only am I getting a swoony small town romance but I get to feel like I’m back at the faire even when I can’t be. I really liked seeing the faire from the eyes of someone who doesn’t quite get it and still gets swept up in the magic. As someone with pretty bad social anxiety and very introverted, this was refreshing to read. I really related to how much April was worried about how she was being perceived all the time. Hello, social anxiety, my old friend. But it was wonderful to see April start to come out of her shell and of course Mitch is the perfect partner to help her do that. And Mitch’s family! They were the best (and worst). The relationship felt so balanced and I just love them.

Getting to see everyone in Willow Creek again is like a warm hug and I grin like an idiot every time I read one of these books. I picture my faire grounds every time and it just feels like home. Please let there be more!

I have read all of Jen Deluca’s Renaissance Faire books and have enjoyed every single one. I loved the relationship between April and Mitch and I enjoyed learning more about Mitch since he’s been mentioned a lot throughout the previous books. Highly recommend if you want a fake dating romance!

As a huge fan of the first two books, the third was exactly what I wanted for April and Mitch. The story culminated perfectly and was perfectly able to read on your own. I love the way April slowly melted, and I'm a sucker for the fake-dating trope. The way they fell for each other was just so sweet, I felt it through every page.

This was definitely my favorite out of all 3 so far!
And it had everything!
*friends to lovers
*10+ age gap
*trying to make it all work after divorce and a kid
*recovery after a bad car wreck
*finding yourself again after literally everything in the world that could go wrong, goes wrong.

I always love a good HEA with bumps along the way, as well as a finding-yourself-and-escaping-the-darkness-in-your-own-mind sort of story. This story will definitely stay with me for a while.

I’m always worried about continuing on with a series because sometimes the next book just doesn’t live up to the hype. I loved Mitch from the beginning so I was really hoping this book would be good and guys, it didn’t let me down! I laughed and I cried. This author knows how to give me all the feelings.

The book is told in the perspective of April. In the first two books there isn’t much from her but I did like getting to know her better in this one. She is facing a lot of change when it comes to her daughter graduating high school and an ex-husband who left her who now wants to congratulate their daughter who he has never even met. No wonder she goes to a bar and runs into Mitch who rescues her from a guy who doesn’t understand the word no.

Even though this is a romance, there is a lot of development when it comes to April. I loved seeing her grow and realize that sometimes we just have to break free and do things we wouldn’t normally do or change our plans for something better.

Mitch is a sweetheart and I love him to pieces! I can’t ever get enough of him. We are used to seeing the confident side of him and this time around there is a more vulnerable side. In those moments it was easy to understand him and I seriously loved April for standing up for him when it came to his family belittling him about his job choice. There is nothing wrong with not getting a degree that pays more. Do what you love! Success shouldn’t be determined by how much money you make. Success is also weighed differently by person and if one person loves what they do than who cares! I’ve seen this type of thing in person and it just annoys me to no end.

Emily, Simon, Stacey, and Daniel are back as side characters and I always like seeing how their lives are going. Emily and April also share a great sibling bond.

When it comes to the romance of the book, I loved it all! The plot of fake dating is mentioned very early on when Mitch asks April to be his fake girlfriend for a family affair. The banter between them was hilarious. The book is just funny in general! It doesn’t take too long for them to realize that something is there between them and I liked the journey of them finding out together even if it wasn’t all rainbows and sunshine. Relationships, even fake ones haha, have their obstacles. If you also like the “only one bed” trope then it’s just another reason for you to pick this one up!

Overall, this was another fantastic book to add to the series. I finished it in one day and stayed up way too late but it was just so hard to put down!

Okay, this might be my favorite of the series. I ADORED April, a single mom, and Mitch.

Mitch helps April when an annoying guy at the bar hits on her. He then asks her to play his girlfriend at a family event. But it goes from pretending to real REAL fast.

I always thought Mitch was a pretty boy in the first two books, but he has such depth in this one! He’s smart, caring and passionate. He has such a good attitude! And April is such a strong woman. I really liked that we got her inner dialogue of being a single mom and the anxiety she feels with dating.

These two are so cute together! You see Emily, Simon and Stacey from the first two books. I loved the banter between April and Mitch and the whole complexity of April’s ex husband showing up, too!

5 stars from me. I loved it!

Another excellent addition to this Ren Faire romance series! Loved the fake dating, the chemistry between Mitch and April, and April's emotional journey.

This is the third book in the Well Met series, all based on characters taking part in a Renaissance Faire. This installment featured the hunky kilt-wearing Mitch and single mom April who has never participated in the Ren Faire before. This is another "need a fake girlfriend" romance that leads to the real thing. Several things happen to carry the story along: April helps Mitch become more respectable to his family, April's daughter realizes that she doesn't need a father in her life, April's life plans can be changed, and Ren Faires are great places for relationships to blossom.

I have to say that I liked the first two books in the series a bit better but this was a good addition to develop all the characters further. It was entertaining and fun to read. I look forward to the next book in the series.

While not quite having the secret sauce that was in “Well Met,” this was definitely better than “Well Played.” It was nice seeing a May-December romance—or should I say April-December? Hahahaha—but it was jumbled in with April’s regrets over not being more involved with Caitlin’s and Willow Creek’s social events; self-consciousness about the scars on her leg; with some ex-husband trauma thrown inbriefly. There could’ve been a sharpness to the conflicting thoughts and emotions here that would’ve made the romantic obstacles that much more.
But I loved the book. I love the series. This book inspired me to re-read “Well-Met” for the fourth time the other day. One of my faves. Huzzah!

Well, when you pick this book up beware it's a one-day read!!!!

Jen DeLuca is at it again giving me a solid romance and Ren Faire fun mixed up in the best combo. I will say Well Matched is the one with the least amount of Ren Faire page time but the romance definitely makes up for it. Well Matched follows the romance with 40-year-old single mother April and 31-year-old kilt-wearing Mitch. Similar to the first two books you only see the story from the female POV and you really get to know April and her life with her daughter Cait as she goes through high school graduation. But then Mitch comes in with a problem and from that moment on April and Mitch keep colliding and sparks continuously fly! Fake dating and there's only one bed tropes make a beautiful appearance as well. I will say the same thing I've said in all of these books, they do feel fast. A lot of time passes over this book and it's mentioned but since you don't live it with the character it can feel a little too quick sometimes. Basically, I just want more! I really do suggest this series for anyone who just wants a good romance with strong characters and a guaranteed HEA.