What a lovely romp! When Lulu can't take another minute of the pressures of her job, she runs away to join the Renn Faire circuit. Under all the corsets (and sunscreen) she finds a welcoming family and a handsome fboi who might be more than he seems. If you're like me and you love renn faires and love a good romance, you'll want to kilt up immediately for this delightful love story.

This is my fourth Jen DeLuca book and I am already ready for more! I have had so much fun reading all her books and have hard copies of the three currently released and will purchase this one when it officially comes out (thanks NetGalley for not making me wait!). Please, Jen, will there be more????

Attorney Louisa, Mitch’s cousin who had a cameo in Well Matched, is at the heart of this fourth book in the warm, sweet renaissance faire themed series by DeLuca. While on a business trip in North Carolina and stalled by lack of case discovery from her sources, she slips out to the local renaissance fair for a break, hoping to recover some of the magic from her time with her grandparents at the Willow Creek faire. She runs into Stacey and tries to focus on hard cider, men in kilts, and a lovely Saturday afternoon, but her cell phone never ceases it’s incoming messages and calls. Frustrated with a waste of five years chasing partner without promotion, her demanding boss, and her family’s expectation, she quits her job and skips her cell phone into a laundry tub prop, and kind Stacey takes Lulu into the motorhome she and Daniel McLean have been traveling in with the band he manages… the Dueling Kilts.

As Lulu tries to find her place in the faire, helping with merch and deep frying turkey legs, her cousin Mitch kindly advises her to stay off the grid, enjoy this time to rediscover herself and her wants and needs. He even promises to fend off the family. Pragmatic Lulu eventually setting herself up as the receptionist for a trio of spiritual advisors hawking their tarot reading, rune interpreting and palmistry skills, and slowly succumbs to the possibility of another lens to view life through.

Of course, there is a love interest: Dex, whose reputation for a different girl in every city precedes him. Fans of the series will remember him as Stacey’s ex, easy on the eyes, magnetic, charming, but a little tone deaf and superficial. He wastes no time turns his tiger’s eye gaze on Lulu but she scoffs at him. Unable to flirt with her, he starts to talk to her, and they forge a real connection, but while she definitely thinks he’s hot, she’s oblivious to the fact he’d rather spend a night in with her, chatting, then hooking up with a very flexible member of an acrobatics troupe, a fact her discloses while they have an argument in a thunderstorm that leads to consummating their relationship in the camper.

Seemingly at odds career-wise, with Lulu intending to return to a law practice of some kind in spite of her new-found interest in tarot, and Dex feeling like he has no skills beyond making up verses to Drunken Sailor and shredding on Whiskey in the Jar, even though he’s a darn good planner and problem-solver, they seem doomed until he finds a way to make a grand gesture and admit he’s in love with her. Given how distasteful Dex is throughout the series and even at the beginning of this book, I did find his change of heart difficult to believe; slower pacing and more demonstrations of his changing would have worked a little better for me as a reader willing to suspend my disbelief that people can pivot so quickly. Other things I appreciated: Lulu is no spring chicken at 37; she tells Stacey that her body isn’t too big, the clothes are just too small when she catches her being critical of her plus-size; a secondary character is gay and no one bats an eye (I’d LOVE to read that tale!); Caitlyn makes an appearance (when is she getting her own book?).

I loved Lulu’s journey in this book; her personality, her openness and challenging of her long-held habits and beliefs. I loved how every faire had its own personality and cast, and I loved the distinct personalities and subtle nod to maiden/mother/crone (or is it MacBeth’s witches?) who bond with Lulu while she attracts clients and books spa sessions. As in other volumes, the writing is artful and often funny; allusions abound, and the setting makes me want to lace up my bodice and hit King Richard’s Faire.

Glimpses of Simon and Emily’s wedded bliss, Mitch and April’s domesticity, and Stacey and Daniel’s steadfast partnership pay fan service to loyal readers, and the return to Willow Creek to see April on the field as a pawn in the chess match is priceless.

I received a free advance reader’s review copy of #WellTraveled from #NetGalley.

I am SUCH a fan of Jen Deluca's Renaissance-Faire set "Well Met" series, and I am so happy to say that this latest installment is just as delightful as the rest of them. Each book takes place in the same universe as the others, but with a new central character, each of them different from the previous with no signs of Deluca's writing getting repetitive or tired. She imbues new energy into each story, and new personality into each protagonist.

The world and cast of characters that Deluca makes me want to run away with a Renaissance Faire, no matter how irresponsible it would be!

I came into WELL TRAVELED with high expectations. I love Jen DeLuca and have thoroughly enjoyed two of the other three books in this series. And I liked Lulu in WELL MATCHED. But, this one just fell flat for me. I did not see any chemistry between Dex and Lulu and I think that was because this book wasn't a dual POV. I think Dex had so much to overcome and growth and nothing felt sincere because we didn't get to be inside his head. And I don't think that the single POV made sense for this book. We needed to see more from Dex because he went from being a playboy to being head over heels for Lulu seemingly overnight without any real interaction with Lulu. I just... was so disappointed in this book. Honestly, I could probably keep going but I just don't want to. At the end of the day, I didn't think this was a good romance and that's all I wanted out of it.

I enjoyed the book overall, but in the first half of the book, I was really missing the chemistry between the protagonists--they rarely interacted. Once they started interacting more, I could see more how they were clicking and could see that they were on similar paths. I just felt a bit of disconnect between the two halves of the story, but that may have been more down to me than the author.

I enjoy the characters both main and side that inhabit this world and hope that the series will continue.

3.5⭐️
I love Jen DeLuca’s Well Met series — but this one fell short for me. Louisa “Lulu” impulsively ditches her corporate job to decompress for a bit by joining the Renaissance faire. Along the way, she meets a lot of great people, helps others to improve their experiences, and meets Dex MacLean. The book was slow to start; Lulu is quickly thrust into the Renaissance life, but the relationships take a while to form. I didn’t feel attached to Lulu or Dex, or the other members of the faire.

Thank you Berkley and Netgalley for the eArc!

This was a really cute addition to the Well Met universe! I loved being back at the Ren Faire and seeing everything fresh through Lulu's eyes.

Well traveled was a great addition to the romance books in this series. I just adore all of these characters. They are quirky and fascinating! This book was equally parts romance and humorous. I blushed and giggled throughout it! If you are looking for a sweet, funny, unique read…this is it!

I found this to be a solid romance novel, albeit a little more explicit than some of the others in this series. I enjoyed Lulu working on herself and changing. I didn't think the novel addressed the difficulties she would have making those changes permanently. I thought Dex was pretty one note and that the readers never really got to know him as more than a man whore who immediately settled down. Finally, the end was bit too easy for me.

JEN DELUCA DOES IT AGAIN! I cannot get over this fourth installment to her already AMAZING series! Reading this book had me laughing, reflecting, and crying. Lulu quickly became a relatable MC as well as inspiration. I’m sure we have all found ourselves in her shoes- trying to find a work/life balance. Starting off by quitting an awful job and then joining a traveling band to go to various renaissance fairs sounds like an amazing plan! Being able to see Dex’s character grow into more than just a “ladies’ man” in this book was refreshing- although at first it was hard for me to trust him and his character/motivation. Sue me, but it’s hard to get past his previous “womanizing ways.” But Jen DeLuca did a fantastic job of growing Dex as a person. Lulu’s journey to find herself as well as love was an amazing one to read. She was quickly relatable and I could not put the book down! Bringing in all of the other characters from this series was also a treat I’m sure many DeLuca fans are happy to read!

Lulu is dedicated to success and becoming partner, just like her family wants her to be. Until she took an afternoon to herself, yelled at her grandma, went to a Ren Faire, made new friends and…quit her job? Lulu’s phone joins the laundry wenches act and she joins the Dueling Kilts. She sees Dex coming from a mile away and doesn’t want to be attracted to him, but she is.

The probability that this is about to become my comfort series is really high! I adored Mitch and April’s story, Well Matched. Mitch was absolute book boyfriend goals, I made notes throughout the book gushing about how sweet he was. Dec and Lulu’s story went much the same. I read a quarter of it in one sitting, needed to stop to come up with ren faire outfit inspo for myself and then got back to binging.

Another fun entry in the series - It seems like a Renaissance faire would have limited storylines, but with each book I'm proven wrong. I hope this series keeps going for a while.

This whole series is very light-hearted and easy reading, which is what I am looking for when I pick one up. This is no exception. Some reviews have said it is more about Lulu finding herself than romance and that is true. I would have liked a little more interaction and build up between Lulu and Dex - it felt a little rushed and that they just suddenly were together. I like to see the banter and the friendship develop first before they rush into being in a relationship. Still, a cute, fun romance that is not cringey.

I think this is my fave of the series so far! As always the writing was sharp & witty. And I loved Lulu's character development. I wasn't sure how Dex taking the forefront was going to work out, but I loved him.

Well Traveled is the fourth book in the Well Met series that features Lulu (Mitch’s cousin) and Dex (guitarist and singer of The Dueling Kilts). This isn’t a stand alone book as it does refer to what happened in Well Played (second book) and Well Matched (third book). Overall, I enjoyed this one! I really loved the growth and transformation we see in Lulu throughout the story. I love how we see how vulnerable she is and that the author discusses about Lulu’s burnout, finding her purpose, and finding joy in small things. I also loved that we got to reconnect with characters from previous books as well. I loved how supportive Mitch, Stacey, and April were of Lulu. The only two parts that didn’t really work for me was the main male character and digital detox. The author shows how much Dex has grown from the story and I’m glad they touched upon what happened in Well Played, but I wanted a bit more to make him a multidimensional character. As for the digital detox, I could understand someone who was on their phone and laptop all the time doing a digital detox for like a week, but two months without seemed a bit unrealistic to me. Despite those two parts, I found it to be an entertaining read though it’s not my favorite in the series. I’m really hoping that the author does a story or a novella about Caitlin (April’s daughter). I’d recommend picking this one up if you love the Well Met series!

3.5 Stars
I am a big fan of the Well Met series. There is something so magical about the renaissance faire world Jen DeLuca has created. I was super excited to read Well Traveled. Unfortunately, I had some mixed feelings about it in the end. I'm going to start out with the things that kept me from loving this book and end with the good stuff.

The stuff that kept me from giving this one 5 stars:

* Some of the magic of the Willow Creek Faire setting was missing. It was fun to hear about other faires, but those woods were part of the first books magic.
* I wasn't so sure of Dex because of his ladies' man persona prior to this book. His switch to misunderstood felt a little awkward knowing some of his history. Not that I didn't love the switch. 
* The biggest thing was the first half of the book. To be honest, I got bored. It was all about Lulu and her finding herself. There wasn't enough Dex in the first half to feel like a romance novel. Lulu thought he was hot, but I didn't necessarily feel their chemistry. Maybe there needed to be more interactions between them or something. I don't know. 


The 5 star material:

* Jen DeLuca's writing.
* I loved the way this book started out with Lulu and her phone.
* Lula was a strong, independent woman. 
* Lulu and Mitch's relationship as cousins.
* Seeing Stacey and Daniel and all of the band while they did their things.
* I loved all of the fortune teller stuff.
* The last half of the book after the romance started.
* How smart and caring Dex was when it came to his family and friends.
* Lulu and Dex together were sweet and had great chemistry once they really interacted.
* The ending was adorable.

If the first half of the book would have been more like the second half, I think I would have fallen in love with this book. It was good, but I needed less set up and more togetherness. I do think other readers (maybe those who are more likely to read women's fiction) might enjoy this one more than I did.

And….. this series has yet another winner! Great writing, great arc, and a fantastic ending.

I honestly didn’t know how this book was going to end and that’s pretty rare for me (especially for a romance). I didn’t know how or even if they were going to be able to make it work at one point! So that was awesome.

The only reason I didn’t give five stars was because of all the divination. As a Christian I don’t like fortune telling or tarot cards, etc. and there was in depth and also many reoccurring themes of that so it was hard to avoid (normally I could skip chapters etc but it was a central theme). But otherwise, loved it!

This series is like a giant fluffy robe that makes you feel so warm and comfy. I love the Ren Faire background and I enjoyed Lulu and Dex. The romance was great, but I also enjoyed Lulu's character development. She was a delight to read!

Not my favorite of the ren faire series but still enjoyed Jen's book! This series is so much fun and I highly recommend for anyone who reads contemporary romance.