With its wonderful characters and magical Renaissance Faire backdrop, I’ve been enjoying Jen Deluca’s contemporary romance series, Well Met, so much. April and Mitch, two of my favorite secondary characters from the previous books, have undeniable chemistry, so I was beyond excited to learn that Well Matched, the third book in the series, would bring them center stage and that the fake dating trope would be involved.

April is such a fantastic character. She’s a forty-year old, single mom who is used to doing everything herself. I really admired her sense of independence. As she says, it has always been just her and her daughter, Caitlyn, against the world and she likes it that way. She has big plans too, now that Caitlyn is heading off to college. It’s time to sell the house, leave Willow Creek, and have a fresh start somewhere else.

Even though she has no plans to stay in town and no interest in romance, she can’t help but admire Mitch Malone, the high school gym teacher. Mitch has a reputation for being a lady’s man and also for wearing a kilt every year at the Ren Faire that shows off his attributes. April can’t deny he’s easy on the eyes, so when he asks her to be his fake girlfriend at a family function to appease his grandmother, who thinks he’s never going to settle down, April agrees in exchange for him helping her with some work on her house.

April and Mitch’s journey together is a bit of a slow burn. It’s clear they are attracted to one another but April fights her attraction every step of the way, in part because of Mitch’s reputation and in part because she’s leaving anyway. Friends with benefits, yes, but an actual future together, nope. I loved watching their relationship evolve, especially as they get to know each other better and April realizes there’s a lot more to Mitch than she had previously given him credit for and finds it harder to fight her attraction to him. I thought DeLuca did a wonderful job of portraying April’s struggle over whether to follow her head or her heart and couldn’t wait to find out which path April would decide to follow.

I also had a great time being back in Willow Creek. I’m always captivated by the magic and charm of the Ren Faire setting and loved that I got to see beloved characters from the first two books in the series and see what they’re up to. I became so invested in these characters that it was like visiting with old friends and I truly loved that feeling.

If Ren Faires, sexy men in kilts, single mom protagonists, and fake dating are your jam, then you definitely want to check out Well Matched. 4.5 STARS.

I didn't love it and I didn't hate it. I honestly was just a bit bored.

I will say that Jen DeLuca writes with a lot of wit and ease that makes speeding through these books a breeze. I managed to finish this in less than a day and I although I enjoyed a few aspects it just didn't hit home for me.

What I enjoyed: I related to April's independence and walls a lot. She doesn't open herself up to community and to love and so watching her break down those walls was interesting. I enjoyed Mitch's backstory and his struggles with his family. That was an interesting dynamic to break down.

What didn't work for me is that I really didn't care about these characters to start with and they didn't grow on me in this book either. I like them, I think they make great side characters but nothing made me absolutely love them and so reading a whole book about them felt a little boring.

Definitely not bad by any means, but I'll not be putting it on a favorites list anytime soon.

I loved it! I had to go back and remind myself how I rated the first two of this series, and this one falls right in between Well Met and Well Played for me! I really enjoyed the fake to real lover trope especially with two of my favorite characters from the series, April and Mitch. While this could be read as a standalone, I would highly recommend reading the entire series!

I've been waiting for Mitch's happily ever after since I first read WELL MET, and Jen DeLuca did not disappoint. I loved discovering all the hidden sides of this hot gym teacher who was way more than he seemed. And prickly April was the perfect foil. This felt very Ted Lasso to me, which is exactly what I needed.

Single mom April has lived in the small town of Willow Creek for 12 years without letting anyone inside the wall she has built around her heart. As her daughter gets ready to go off to college, April sets her sights on moving on from Willow Creek and asks her friend Mitch for home improvement help in order to sell the house. When Mitch agrees to help April, he has one condition: she has to pretend to be his girlfriend at his family dinner so he can avoid his nosy family members. But when dinner turns into a weekend getaway, the lines between real and fake will blur.

Okay so I’d never thought of a kilt being attractive…but then there’s Mitch 😍 I absolutely devoured this rom com! Fake dating is 110% my jam. April was such a well written protagonist and I loved watching her grow and learn to finally come out of her shell and let someone love her again. I’ve only been to a Ren Faire once when I was young, but I had so much fun reading about all the events and costumes! This book was absolutely fantastic. I had no idea it was part of a series when I read it, so I will definitely be doing some backtracking!

This is more a 3.5 that I'm rounding up. I definitely enjoyed this more than the 2nd in the series, but not as much as the 1st. Partially because it took more than half of the book to get to the Ren Faire, and frankly, I want more of that atmosphere. And hip hip hooray for a book that is not a slow burn! I enjoy romances where the physical chemistry and the emotional aspect of the relationship aren't in sync yet.

It was a fun read but I did find April to be a little bit of a sad sack. She describes herself as someone who likes to wear twinsets, which boggles me because she's my age roughly and I don't think I know anyone in my demographic who's a twinset wearer. Mitch was a fun guy though he didn't have much of a journey to go through. April came into herself more by the end but I do enjoy books more that give a good arc to both romantic leads.

It was a generally light and breezy read but sometimes it did feel a little bit like throwing romance tropes at the wall--fake dating, just one bed-- instead of creating a story that felt imaginative and rich.

3.5 Stars

Loved Mitch and this was unexpectedly hot in places, but April was frustrating, and not only with Mitch.

I can understand being a little hesitant about the age difference, especially if she was worried about Mitch eventually wanting kids, but ten years isn’t hardly anything especially when he’s thirty and you’re forty. I didn’t like that April was so closed off, even with her family and the other women she was in book club with. And come on, you can’t stock beer in the fridge for the guy helping you renovate your house? That really got to me because it was such a small thing to show gratefulness and she wouldn’t do it.

I sounds like I didn’t enjoy the story at all, but there was a lot to like as well: Mitch and April in a fake romance that was clearly more, and they were deliciously hot together! Fun times at the Ren Faire, seeing Emily and Simon happy and in love.

When I started Jen DeLuca’s Well Met series in 2019 as a buddy read with a friend I wasn’t sure how I felt about it. Renaissance Faires aren’t really my thing but the book, Well Met, sounded cute enough, and it was, but it wasn’t a favorite. Some of it didn’t work for me. But I did enjoy it enough to want to read book 2, Well Played, and I ended up liking book 2 a whole lot more. So when Well Matched was coming I was excited to see how I would feel about the last companion. Happy to say, it was the best of the series and got all the stars!

Well Matched is the story of April Parker, Willow Creek’s resident single mother, and Mitch Malone, the town’s resident life of the party. April has spent years in Willow Creek closing off her heart to the people that live in the town. She knew the second her daughter graduated she was moving so she never got close to anyone. But then Mitch Malone needs her help. He needs her to pretend to be his girlfriend at his family reunion so his family will lay off of him. April agrees and soon finds some of those walls she built coming down. What starts out as a weekend to help Mitch becomes a lot more when he starts to help her fix up her place. And when his family unexpectedly shows up at the Renaissance Faire April once again finds herself in a position she never expected, at Mitch’s side and contemplating if leaving is really what she wants to do.

Well Matched felt different for me. From the get go I felt a connection to April. I grew up as the only child of a single mother so I understood the relationship between April and her daughter. April handled everything she was feeling in regards to her ex and her daughter with grace and class even when she wanted to rip off her ex husbands face. On top of that I loved the relationship April and Mitch had. There was nothing conventional about them or anything that made them seem like they would work. But man did the work as a pair. They had amazing chemistry and an even stronger friendship which I think is what helped lead to that chemistry. They each had walls up, April’s more prevalent than Mitch’s, but they were there. And slowly they both tore them down creating something magical between them.

In the end Well Matched was EVERYTHING I wanted from this series. It brought so much joy and heart into my life and I honestly never wanted it to end. It was truly the perfect way to end the series and I highly recommend getting a copy today!

Thank you Netgalley, Berkley and Lets Talk Books Promo for an arc of Well Matched in exchange for an honest review.
Well Met is one of my all time favorite books. I loved it so much I read it in only a few hours. I just love this series and Well Matched was no exception! Mitch and April had plenty of banter in the previous books so I was thrilled they were getting their own story.
Fake dating has become a favorite trope so I was excited about that. I loved seeing another side of Mitch from the flirt we've always seen among the group. His affection for April was apparent from very early on and I loved how supportive he was of her. I really loved how she supported him in front of his family and it's a wonder she didn't realize how much she was feeling for him then. I loved how she evolved throughout the story. I really felt for her when she had to run into her ex-husband and when she drops her daughter off at college. I'm so happy I have this preordered so i will have a copy for my shelf!

This was my FAVORITE of the series. I absolutely adored these characters, the romance, the discussions, everything.

I knew going into this one that I loved these two characters, but I had no idea how much I would fall in love with them both. Despite me being in a vastly different place in life than April, I couldn't help but relate to so many of her fears and struggles. Both her and Mitch were such easy characters to fall and root for. I was on board with their romance from the very opening scene.

This also had a whole slew of my absolute favorite romance tropes - friends to lovers, fake dating, reluctant romance, and ONLY ONE BED 🙏 It was so swoony and romantic and wonderful and I never wanted to put this down (which is exactly why I devoured the entire thing in one single sitting)

On top of that, being back in this adorable town was wonderful, especially after living in lockdown for the last 2 years. Being back at the Renn Faire, even through the page, was so magical and heartwarming. The descriptions, the food, the characters, everything completely sucked me in.

I was so sad to think this series was coming to an end. But I just discover that LULU IS GETTING HER OWN STORY. I'm so here and ready for this and I can't wait 🖤

I'm always here for fake dating. This maybe wasn't as steamy as I could have enjoyed, but I do still love the Ren Faire setting. I also hesitate to say this, but the love story wasn't as...developed? Maybe? Dunno. Something just feels ever-so-slightly off.

Thank you so much to Berkley and to Netgalley for an arc of Well Matched by Jen DeLuca!

This was one of my most anticipated reads of the year! As soon as I was approved I picked it up and finished it within 2 days- which is a sign of how good it is since it’s my first week back teaching, being 32 weeks pregnant with an active 3 year old! I definitely picked this one up whenever I could.

I loved this novel. DeLuca’s writing is wonderful and I loved seeing all of the characters again, and to revisit the Ren Faire! Mitch and April were 2 characters I always enjoyed seeing and I’m so happy to finally read their story. I loved seeing the character growth with April.

DeLuca is an auto read author for me and I fully recommend reading Well Matched!

This was an enjoyable addition to the Well Met series. April and Mitch’s attraction has been building throughout the previous books, so I was really looking forward to their story. It wasn’t quite as strong a plot as I’d hoped for, but I still enjoyed revisiting this world.

3.5 stars - Yay! April and Mitch... In this third book in the series kilt wearing Mitch is in the lead and he has come along way from the way we see him in the other books. He is tired of the no strings relationships he's had in the past and we get to see how hard he works for the kids he teaches/coaches. His leading lady is has been in the background in the past books, she was sister to the first leading lady. She is opposite in temperament to the sunny Mitch, which makes it a bit harder to warm up to her. It isn't fair of me but where I like grumpy hero books, grumpy heroine ones - when the story is told from her point of view - are tougher. The pair are sort of friends and fake dates move them into more intimate territory. There a handful of incidents that have them playing couple, but it's not like they really transition into a real couple after the first fake dating weekend. I did have a problem with how the leading lady treats Mitch at the climax of the story and I thought that way more groveling was needed to get to the HEA.

So this wasn't my favorite relationship of the series, but it was still fun to see a bit more of the Ren Faire and the past pairs - I love the Ren Faire parts and there could have been more. So, it seems like this is probably the wrap up to the series and I have enjoyed the books overall and will keep an eye out for what's next from DeLuca.

ARC courtesy of the publisher via NetGalley release date 19 October 2021

Third in the series, Well Matched is a fun rom com. If you like fake dating/accidentally-in-love tropes, Renaissance fairs or family dynamics stories then check this one out. I also liked the mother/daughter relationship. Solid contemporary romance with a little steam and some language.

Included as a top pick in bimonthly October New Releases post, which highlights and promotes upcoming releases of the month (link attached)

April Parker decides it is time to make new changes in her life. She starts to prepare her move from her small town home. This is the fresh start that she needs. She asks Mitch to help her prepare the house for sale. He agrees if she can play his girlfriend in front of his family. The problem is that one weekend of pretend feels like something real brewing in the background.

April doesn’t need any distractions from selling her house. Mitch is younger than her and the town’s hottie. They are not a perfect match. She thinks they can remain friendly but then Mitch’s family is back in town again and she is helping him out as his “girlfriend”. The only problem this time is that April is not sure if they aren’t well matched.

I selected this book on the synopsis alone and now I wish I had read the previous books in the series. The story is still so engaging that I didn’t feel lost one bit. I can’t wait to go back and read the other installments. April and Mitch bring such a fun and quirky town to life.

While I enjoyed this story well enough there are few things that is bothersome. The author uses the tedious home improvement scenes as filler. It bogs down the story and didn’t add much for the movement of the characters at certain times.

There is also the fact that April is not the warmest book heroine. It takes time to warm up to her. She is guarded from her past relationship with her daughter’s husband. After so many years in this small town, I would think she could be a bit more open and friendlier. Mitch literally broke down walls with April in more than one way.

Overall, I love the back and forth. Mitch’s charming personality won me over. I’m glad the author showed there was more to him than being eye candy. He forces April to really look deep inside and figure out if leaving is worth it.

This is such a quick and light read. I look forward to going back to the other books in the series.

~ Samantha

This was a sweet romcom and my first from the author. I haven’t read the first 2 books in the series but this didn’t detract my enjoyment from reading Well Matched. A lot of readers said to read the previous books first to better appreciate the characters, especially the recurring ones, so I might just pick them up soon! Although I can’t relate to April being a single mom and about to be an empty-nester, I really liked her story. I can appreciate her erecting a wall and trying her best to be a good mother whilst providing for her daughter. Mitch made me swoon so I know how April felt with their pretend relationship —-no wonder sparks flew right from the start!🎇🎆🎇 I also liked the age difference between April and Mitch; we don’t get to read much about older women in a relationship with younger men so yey for this. The ending was satifying for me and I was glad to have a HEA💖

Thank you @berkleyromance for a copy of this book. I enjoyed the first 2 book of this series and was excited to read April’s and Mitch’s story. As a single mom, April is so strong and amazing in raising her daughter on her own. I felt bad that she never really had a life and devoted everything to her daughter. I also appreciated the age gap and how Mitch was so much deeper than he was in the previous books. It was fun to see characters from the previous books as well.

Initial Thoughts/Expectations:

I read the teaser at the end of Well Played and when it ended I was both pumped and frustrated! Pumped because fake relationships are hot right now and after reading Well Met and Well Played I was beyond excited to see what Jen DeLuca would do with the couple I had been dying to see since about two thirds of the way through book one. Frustrated because how could she just leave me like that until the next book came out??? Jen puts her own spin on common tropes and I could not wait to see the magic she’d weave with this one!

What I Loved:

Oh…. You know… just everything!

First and foremost, I have yet to read another author that writes characters as relatable as those in Well Matched, in the whole series really. I find a little bit of myself in Mitch, in April, in Emily, in Simon, in Stacey, in Daniel, and almost every character that graces the stage, whether it is at the actual Ren Faire or just in the book in general.

Then…. Mitch and April! Wow, but their story was so much more than I anticipated. And so much of it was a journey to accept themselves.

Let’s begin with April. The emotion that runs within April is fascinating to see unfold on the page. Helping a friend forces her to let loose in a way she never imagined possible. She comes face to face with insecurities and a realization that Willow Creek means so much more to her than a nice place to raise her daughter. April battles herself throughout the story. Her tumultuous journey is made moreso when her daughter Caitlin adds a few bumps in the road and doesn’t adequately prepare her for said bumps. The bumps bring about some wild moments, but create situations that force April to let her guard down with Mitch.

And now Mitch. I fell in love with Mitch the moment I recognized all those facets of him that he couldn’t see in himself, beginning in book one when carefree Mitch provided the needed nudge for the bordering-on-too-angsty main characters. The teaser promised a fake relationship, but there was a genuine take on the trope that, while expected, was not foreseen. Mitch has much more depth than I would have fathomed possible and Jen DeLuca damn near shattered my heart a time or two… but don’t worry, she more than put it back together!!!

What I Didn’t Love:

So notice that I haven’t mentioned Ren Faire at all. It was there and it played a pivotal part, but it was definitely less prevalent in this book than the previous two in the series. While this made me a tad blue because the Renaissance Faire has turned out to be one of my favorite romance settings. However, the increased amount of Willow Creek that we get as April begins to really see the town she has always assumed she’d run away from after Caitlin graduates more than made up for there being less Ren Faire, on the whole.

Final Thoughts/Recommendations:

Mitch and April are beyond perfect for one another and no one could have done their story justice like Jen DeLuca did. These characters managed to grow individually as they grew into their feelings and relationship with one another. Well done, Jen…. and please write a story for every person in Willow Creek so I can continue to return to this wonderful world you have gifted to us readers!