April is not a joiner. She moved to willow creek to raise her daughter, has worked hard not to become too involved with the town, and plans on leaving as soon as she sends her daughter off to college this fall.
Mitch is the opposite. The handsome gym teacher/coach/ren faire volunteer offers to help April get her house ready to sell if she will agree to come as his girlfriend to a family reunion weekend.
Obviously sparks fly and soon what starts as pretends starts to feel more and more real.
I did not enjoy this book as much as previous installments in the series. The conflict between the characters seems very manufactured and silly and it was sad not to get to spend so much time at the faire in this book. In the end it was cute, but I had a harder time connecting with and rooting for the characters.

** Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for a fair and honest review. **

April has her future all figured out. As soon as her daughter heads off to college, April will put her house on the market and finally leave the small town where she's never felt she fits in. Life has different plans, however, in the form of one hunky, kilt-wearing, gym teacher Mitch Malone. The two have orbited each other's lives for years, but, after years of playful flirting, the two are finally forced to face the feelings they never realized they had.

Well Matched is a nice, fluffy read that I read through in one sitting. After waiting for April and Mitch's story, Jen DeLuca did not disappoint. Throwing together all the angst and feelings with a fake dating trope...*chefs kiss*! A perfect combination and an excellent summer read.

The Well Met series has my entire heart and I was so honored to recieve an ARC of this book! I loved being back in Willow Creek with my favorite Ren Faire crew, and really enjoyed getting to be in April's head this time around following her perspective as she gets ready for Caitlin to go away for college and learns a ton of things about herself. Mitch stole the show for me, I've been secretly hoping he'd make his entrance as a romantic lead in one of the books and he definitely stole my heart! This book has it all- fake dating, steamy romance, learning to love again, and plenty of time at the Ren Faire.

Oh, my entire heart.

This is a sweet, funny romance between April, a 40 year old single mom, and Mitch, a 30 year old goofy piece of man candy in a kilt. It's told from April's POV because Mitch, while complicated, is so open and transparent - I mean, that alone makes him the ideal book boyfriend.

And then there's the Renn Faire hook. What a treat to be able to spend time at the Faire (without being filthy and exhausted or getting heatstroke) in a time when most Faires are closed. Drums and bagpipes! Kilts! Costumes! Deep fried food on a stick! Huzzah!

And the absolute best part? WELL MATCHED is the third in the series. It works great as a standalone but you'll instantly want more, and there's more Faire books by Jen DeLuca out there waiting for you!

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

This book was cute enough, but not very memorable. It was a pretty easy read, only felt slow in a few parts, but it definitely wasn't a page turner.

Things I didn't like:
-The pacing of this book felt off. I really like the beginning and thought it was going to be a cute fake dating trope book, but that only lasted for like 50% of the story.
-Unnecessary plotlines. The returning dad plot seemed like it was going to be a big deal for the story overall and it just kind of disappeared out of nowhere. It was an unnecessary and distracting plot and I think the story would have been stronger overall without it.
-Stubbornness of the characters. Listen, I get that the characters are going to be a little stubborn and not think that their feelings were real a little. BUT, it was so dragged out in this story that it was just frustrating by the end when they finally did wake up and realize everything was real. It felt unnaturally dragged out just for the sake of added angst.

Things I liked:
-The tropes were superior! We had fake dating, forced proximity, "there's only one bed" all in one story. All of my favorite tropes combined and I loved reading about it, I just wish those tropes carried through the entire story, instead of only half the book.
-I really liked how this story was about older characters. The main female character is 40, and the main guy is 31. It was nice to read about a relationship between actual adults, instead of the normal new adult, college aged romances I typically read.
-I really loved reading about April's relationship with her daughter and watching her send her off to college. It reminded me of my mom dropping me off at college.

Overall:
My main issue with this book was the pacing. It started out strong but the characters got together too quickly and it felt like there was nowhere else for the story to go. But overall it was a cute story that was easy to get through. Definitely a fun, quick read.

Oh boy! I was waiting for devouring Mitch’s book since I’ve read “Well Met”, irresistible sexy god in killing kilts: I fantasized the character someone between Outlander’s Sam Heughan meets James McAvoy and when I rethought that image, my cheeks got hurt because of too much grinning!

At the second book, when the author gave us impression something can happen between Emily’s supportive sister April ( whose tragic accident is the beginning of entire series ) and charm in kilt a.k.a. Mitch, I got so excited!

April finally raised her daughter Caitlin alone, who is about to graduate and leave for the college. She already gets stressed because Caitlin’s douchebag father who was never in the picture plans to reconnect with her daughter. And her decision to sell the house and move an apartment closer to her work place idea was not taken well by Caitlin. April has to deal with her silent treatment.

And Mitch… hottest gym teacher of the town is helpful enough for her house renovations in exchange a quick favor: she has to act like Mitch’s girlfriend during his grandparents’ anniversary because he’s sick of his family’s interrogation about his personal life and he wants to prove them he can be in a serious relationship like smart, mature, strong woman like her.

But when their pretending game gets out of control and what if they don’t want to pretend anymore!

Well, April is scared: she’s living secluded life, single mother, giving up everything for so long, a little mundane, always responsible one as Mitch picks up women at bars, having too many flings, easy going, flirty, sarcastic, ten years younger than him.

She may risk so much by having relationship with him. Could she live her comfort zone ? Could she be his girlfriend under prying eyes of townies?

Overall: Well- Met is still my most favorite book of the series, but I loved this one more than second book. Thankfully Emily, Stacey, Simon and Daniel stated as supporting characters. Because in my opinion, second book’s only problem was we read about two couples at the same time. There was not much differentiation between MCs and supporting characters.

I’m so happy this book only concentrated on April and Mitch’s blossoming romance. Both of them were amazing. I already loved two of them from the previous books so I’m happy to see they ended up together.

I wish the story narrated by both April and Mitch. I would truly enjoy to read his perspective, how he started to fall for April, how he dealt with his parents’ criticism about his life choices. From the beginning of the series, he was one of my favorite characters so I would love to spend more time in his head!

Anyways, it was still feel good and extra swoon worthy read and it was amazing to return back to Renaissance Faire!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this amazing digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest opinions.

Well Matched by Jen Deluca
Rating 4.25/5
Publisher - Berkley Books
Publish Date - 19 October 2021


**thank you to Netgalley, Berkley Books, and of course, Jen Deluca, for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Jen Deluca has done it again. With the third return to Willow Creek Maryland, we follow Mitch and April - and all of the messy parts of a love story worth reading about. I truly cannot get over this book and all the feels I got from it.

Our story begins with walled off, older sister of Emily, April as she is dealing with all of the change coming her way. Her daughter is going off to college in the fall and she is hoping to sell her house and follow her dream to living in the big city where she works. For April, 40 is when life gets to begin and small towns are not for her. She has done her job as a single mom, now it’s her time. Who needs Willow Creek if your daughter was the purpose for moving here and now she is gone?

Enter Mitch - resident gym teacher and friends of Emily, Stacy, Simon and pretty much all of Willow Creek. One evening, Mitch saves April from an awful run in at the bar. The next thing she knows, she is agreeing to be his fake girlfriend for a weekend visiting his grandparents. Well, only if Mitch helps her work on her house so she can get it on the market. This weekend begins a love story for the ages. The two trade favour for favour over the summer, especially when April’s Ex Husband and Father of her Daughter arrives to town after 18 years of never showing up. Of course, the fake girlfriend/boyfriend troupe is present, but on top of that - it disappears quickly and is only a sliver of the story that comes back here and there. A small thread tying the two together to the beginning of their relationship. April and Mitch embark on a beautiful relationship, that is only theirs to know about.

And that is the kicker - April is a hider - she has lived in Willow Creek for over a decade and feels like a stranger in her own town. Sure, she gets out here and there, but she never really pushed herself to embrace small town life - or the renaissance faire which takes place each summer. It’s not long before April and Mitch’s relationship is tested and April realises in order for her to start over, she might need to stop hiding and fight for what she wants - and it just so happens, that might be Mitch and Willow Creek after all.

When I tell you I ADORED this book, The emotion is even beyond that. This is by far a vast improvement for Well Played, which I liked but not as much as Well Met (I don’t think anything can match that books awesomenesss) I love returning to Willow Creek in each of Jen’s books and I find that each of them gets more and more lovely. I love how the characters from previous books continue to make an appearance once they get their happily ever after.

I will say I had a few things I wasn’t a fan of in this book. For one, Mitch is a CrossFit dude? Nooooo. They are the most annoying (well besides him!). Second, I really wanted more time at the Ren Faire. It was not until about 50% into the book that we got to journey into the woods, which does make sense with April’s character but still. I did love the introduction of Lulu though, perhaps she could be the main character in book 4? ;)

I seriously hope this is not the end of my summer Willow Creek adventures because if it is, I don’t know what I could do with myself…or my renaissance outfit for that matter.

This is the third book in the well met series and all the previous characters came out for it. April and Mitch were cute, but I never felt very bonded to their characters. I will say I really enjoyed the ending, but I struggled to get in to the beginning. Still a cute story though!

April and Mitch are finally here! Jen brought it all with this addition to the series. I loved everything about it. Getting to see a different, softer side of Mitch…swoon. I’m really hoping Lulu gets her own book with this series!

Thank you to NetGalley for a free eArc in exchange for a honest review!

I love this series so much! It’s the perfect summer read and just makes you feel like you’re part of this small town. I had high hopes for Mitch and April’s story and it was very cute. I was a little disappointed though. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I felt like their relationship development was rushed and shallow. Don’t get me wrong, they have amazing chemistry and you want them together, but you don’t get to see the smooth transition to love- you’re just kind of told. I still really enjoyed the book though and highly recommend to all the romance lovers.

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
Opposites attract in the third Ren Faire novel by Jen DeLuca. April is a single mom who's devoted everything to her daughter - who is about to go off to college. She's never been very social and plans on moving out of her small town to be closer to work. Mitch, teacher, coach, and Ren Faire hottie in a kilt is the town playboy. He needs April's help and as these two very different people get to know each other, sparks fly! For fans of Sally Thorne and Christina Lauren.

Single mother April Parker is forty years old and ready to start her life again after her daughter graduates from college. She plans to sell her house in Willow Creek and move to the city. The only problem is that no one wants her to leave.

Mitch Malone, known for his good looks and love of having a good time, comes to April asking for her help. He needs her to pose as his girlfriend for a family party. In return, he'll help her fix up her house for sale. The only problem is faking a relationship with Mitch comes way too easily for April. Can she tell what's fake and what's real between them?

Well Matched is the third book in Jen DeLuca's Ren Faire romance series, and I would rank it as my second favorite so far. It features an older woman/younger man pairing, which I don't think we see enough of in the romance world. I appreciated that DeLuca didn't make the issue a big deal (other than April's occasional self-consciousness), and especially that other characters didn't bring it up as a negative. I thought the two had good chemistry, and while I would have liked to see more Ren Faire (my whole reason for getting into this series!), I really enjoyed this book.

I loved this book! So far it has been my favorite in the series.... the pretend relationship trope is one of my favorites to read! April is wrapping up her time in Willow Creek as her daughter prepares to graduate from high school. The plan all along was to move as soon as graduation was over and plant roots in a new town. Mitch Malone has deep roots in the town of Willow Creek and is a beloved gym teacher and coach. When he approaches April to see if she'll pretend to be his girlfriend in order to impress his family, she accepts. On the condition that he helps with her home renovations to prepare her home to sell.
One thing leads to another and before long they're crossing lines between acting and real feelings. There is lots of fun banter, steamy scenes, and real emotions. The Ren Faire wasn't as much of a focal point in this book, the focus was more on April and Mitch and their respective families. Overall a fun story that I would definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

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

CW: anxiety, family tensions, abandonment of a child (side character)

I've read the two previous books in the series but I do think this can be read as a standalone

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f fake dating
-opposites attract
-single parent
-age gap
-only one bed
-flirting through home improvement projects

I've been very ready for Mitch and April's romance as it was teased through Well Played. This was a bit quieter than I was expecting but so sweet. I really enjoyed their contrasting personalities. April never really putting down roots, never really trusting anyone after what happened with her ex, only really relying on herself to raise her child, and slowly letting others help her, first her sister, and then Mitch. All of the home improvement projects, as they got to know each other was so fun and such a great way for them to fall in love and I enjoyed every moment.

Sweet, cinnamon roll, kilt wearing Mitch. I loved seeing a different side to him, vulnerable, insecure around his family. And so clearly gone on April, wanting to be there for her, not because she needed him but because he cared for her. This was a slow burn of feelings and was such a soft read.

The end really got me. April and Mitch really opening up to each other. The sexual chemistry was always there, and this is definitely not a slow burn for the on-page sex, but for April it's a slow burn of letting her walls down for someone who had to be protective of her heart that I found really realistic.

I also really want to give a shout out to this entire series for showing different HEA, that there is no formula and every family, every HEA for people looks different. I'm so glad to hear that this isn't the last in the series.

Rating: 4.5
Steam: 3

Jen DeLuca has done it again! The Willow Creek gang honestly means so much to me, and I LOVED coming back to this world again! Mitch and April are a couple I have been dying to see finally get together since book one, and their love story did NOT disappoint! Age gaps aren’t my first choice of trope, but Jen might just be changing my mind 🙌
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Mitch is just absolutely wonderful. I have loved him from the minute he stepped onto the page in Well Met, and my love for him grows every time I read more about him. This giant, lovable, sexy teddy bear of a man has so much depth to him, and I just want to give him the biggest hug. And probably a little more 😏 I loved getting to delve deeper into his mind, and his life, and learn how much more to him there is than just a pretty face and a sexy kilt.
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April was the heroine I thought I had the least in common with of the three. She’s a mom, in a much different stage of her life than me, and we definitely have different personalities. But my heart was breaking for her and the way she walked her heart off from the rest of the world to avoid getting hurt. The way she felt so alone and excluded from everyone, even though she was the one who put that distance there, was something I could so strongly relate to.
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Well Matched comes out October 19th, 2021 so go pre-order now! And thank you so much Jen for this early copy! 💙

Note: This is the third book of a series (Well Met #1, Well Played #2).

We're back in Willow Creek, small town home to April Parker and her daughter, Cait. After the events of "Well Met," April has fully physically recovered from a terrible accident, but there's still a lot of healing inside that she doesn't even realize needs to be done. As a single mother whose husband walked out their family nearly two decades ago, April has gotten used to doing things herself and making decisions that are best for her and Cait, and the newest decision is a big one: fix up her house, put it on the market, and move.

When an unexpected family get-together looms on the horizon for the town's hottest kilt-wearing bachelor and Ren Faire volunteer, Mitch, April agrees to help her friend out: play the part of his girlfriend just for the weekend so his family will finally get off has back about settling down and maybe take him a little bit more seriously, for once. In exchange? Mitch will help out with fixing up April's house so she can sell it and move on.

As April spends more time with Mitch she discovers that maybe there's more to this man than meets the eye. Caught between Mitch, Willow Creek, and big life changes (Cait graduating and going to college, friends and family getting married and settling down, potentially moving to a new place), April has some big decisions and big feelings to contend with.

What I Loved:
- Fast-paced story (I read this in under 24 hours!)
- Lighthearted with fun characters that were easy to love and enjoy, with plenty of returning characters but of course a few new ones! It's fun to read about each of their stories with each book in the series.
- The Renaissance Fair aspects are completely my favorite (though of course I wish there had been a bit more attention paid to the fair in this third book).
- The second book of the series (Well Played) fell a little short for me (it didn't quite have as much charm or depth as the first book, Well Met), but I was happy to see that this third book bounced back a bit and did a better job in having the reader connect with the characters. There seemed to be a bit more attention paid to both Mitch and April's stories and it felt like there was more depth this time around.

What I Didn’t Love:
- I was most disappointed (and by disappointed, I mean truly gutted) to discover that Mitch is a CrossFit dude. I think adding workout details in regards to Mitch's character is totally fine and great, but I desperately wish that CrossFit hadn't been the chosen golden child to fit that purpose, especially because I feel like having that CrossFit association colors Mitch's character in a less-than-lovable light (he never comes across as a self-absorbed gym rat, but throwing out the C name like that makes the reader rethink how down to earth Mitch really is).
- It took a much longer time than the first or second book to revisit the Renaissance Fair (it wasn't really reintroduced officially until around 50-60% in). The Renaissance Fair aspect is what makes this rom-com series unique and fun, and with every next book in the series, it becomes less and less an anchor in the storyline. I hope this doesn't become a trend and that the fourth book contains even less.
- This series follows a very clear formula in regards to the plot (but I'm STILL here picking these books up because I do really love and enjoy them!) and one of those aspects is that the characters declare love to one another fairly quickly. But, for the sake of the propose of a fun rom-com that has to be wrapped up in under 350 pages, we just suspend our disbelief and lean into it.
- This one didn’t quite have the same amount of charm as the first one of the series (I don't know that any of them ever will - there's always something extra magical about the first book in a series) but I was also happy to see that it had a bit more depth to it in comparison to the second of the series.

Overall:
I read this one in under 24 hours because it was truly that fun! I realize that no subsequent books in this series will ever be as pleasantly delightful as the first book, Well Met - there was something extra special about that one (perhaps discovering a fun, unique twist to the classic rom-com with the introduction of a Renaissance Fair!). That being said, this third book was an improvement over the second one (Well Played), and I felt like readers were able to return to some characters that meant a lot, that had gotten a lot of page-time in the first two books, and whose stories we were invested in. As always, the Renaissance Fair aspects of these stories are my favorite parts and the most fun; they make this series truly unique and will always leave me ready to pick up the next book. I do wish that the Renaissance Fair had gotten a bit more page-time (and perhaps something new and fun could've been introduced there), but as it stands, it was still enjoyable! The ending gave hints as to who will be the focus of the fourth book (as each of the books in the series tends to do), and I'm curious to see where that story will go (and how the Fair will hopefully be well-incorporated).

(Note: I've rounded my 4.5-star rating up to a 5-star rating due to the nature of the rating system. It wasn't a "super solid, no questions asked 5-star rating" due to the aspects that I didn't love, as mentioned above, but it left me feeling very satisfied and eager to pick up the next book!)

I love Willow Creek and their Renaissance Fair. There is such wonderful world building in this series and it makes me wish it was real. All of the characters are wonderful and I am THRILLED that April and Mitch get their chance at love! This was impossible to put down.

Finally April & Mitch get their story! These two have been favorites of mine since the first book (Well Met) and I was so happy to read that they would be together, in their own story! I have thoroughly enjoyed every book in this series, and couldn't wait to get into Well Matched! Thank you NetGalley for the eArc!

April is a 40 year old single mom. Mitch is a 30 year old gym teacher, a flirt, and apparently Mitch in a kilt is a big draw for the renaissance fair each year. He's faced with attending a family function, and doesn't want to hear about still being single. So, he asks April to go with him and be his fake girlfriend. Several things happen that cause them to have to continue to charade for longer than intended. And things start to feel a little too real.

I absolutely adored Mitch and April's story! These books are easy to read, and so much fun.

Jen Deluca's first two books in the Well Met series got me out of a serious reading slump, and when I heard there was going to be a third book,I was thrilled. I checked weekly, and I can't tell you how excited I was that this ARC finally appeared on NetGalley. Mitch and April are an amazing couple, the plot is so fun, and I loved how Deluca dealt with the children/no children issue. It's getting less rare, but it's still exciting to see characters fall in love and not want children.

Well Matched is the third installment of the Well Met series. This book, dives into a romance between April and Mitch. Mitch needs a “date” to his family get together and asks April to help him. Well things get a little heated. The next few months are spent in a “pretend” relationship on a need-to basis. Mitch’s feelings are sincere. April has to overcome her own insecurities. Can they work it out?

I was hesitant about this book. I love the series, especially the first one, but a romance between April and Mitch kind of made me cringe. I hadn’t seen them ever getting together. The renaissance faire aspect is always fun and reminiscent of my visits to the Texas Renn-fest. This novel doesn’t seem to have as much time at the renn faire.

Overall, an enjoyable series. The age difference makes me a little uncomfortable, but hey, it’s not my life or my romance. I do like the characters; learning more about April and Mitch.

Thank you Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for this ARC. Could be a possible read for books club. Maybe Lulu’s story next?