Jen DeLuca has done it again, folks. She has truly done it again. I didn't think anything could make me root for a HEA for perennial f***boy Declan Maclean, but this book did. When I first heard that the fourth book in this series was going to focus on Lulu and Dex, I really wasn't sure I was going to like it. In some ways, Dex was kind of the "villain" of Well Played, but Well Traveled really turned me around on Dex and his whole story. So when the inevitable third act break-up came, I actually teared up. (I'm pregnant, so it might be hormones, but at least part of it was actually feeling for Dex and Lulu.)

Many thanks to Berkeley Publishing Group and NetGalley for the eARC of this book, provided in exchange for a review.

3.5

felt like it was missing some steps. not my favorite of the series, but still good and worth the read. i’ll always love how deluca captures the spirit of the faire.

#netgalley

I hate to say this, but as a huge fan of this series, this one did not hit the mark. I really liked getting back into the world DeLuca has built around this band and the renaissance fair life. Lulu’s character arc was a solid romance trope and while her growth was predictable, it was still a feel good story for our fair protagonist. On those fronts this was a great addition to the Well-Met World. However, as a romance? No dice. The chemistry between Lulu and Dex felt nonexistent and didn't really add to the story of Lulu’s life. Dex lacks a character arc which makes the HEA feel somewhat trite. I enjoyed reading this book, but it didn’t feel like the outstanding storytelling that has been in the previous books. Hopefully this proves to just be a one-off for DeLuca because I would like to see more in this series.

3.5 Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC! Recommended for series regulars/completists. I think this would have worked really nicely as a novella (Well Met #3.5). While enjoyable, not a whole lot happens. Dex is one dimensional and his tension with Lulu is a bit lacking.

This was an overall average read, that maybe as a standalone (meaning if you haven't read other books in this series) would be better. As someone who has read the first three books in this series and was left with very high expectations following the first book, I was a little disappointed with this book.
Pros:
The pacing in this book was great. It truly was a breezy read that you can blow through in a day, easily and didn't drag at any times.
Lulu's growth and self-discovery was great and I liked that she was able to figure out a way to do a job she is good at and wanted to continue on with but in a way that would allow her to have free time and not be forced to have no social life. It was a very common situation that people shouldn't have to live and breath their jobs.

Cons:
The chemistry between Lulu and Dex was nonexistent. The entire time I could not see beyond Dex as a 2-D character with literally zero goals, ambition, or personality. Once Lulu and Dex got together it felt like their relationship was a side character to the main story of Lulu's growth and self-discovery. It seemed like their relationship was an afterthought. Even at the end of the book when I knew they would end up together because it's a romance, I didn't particularly want Lulu and Dex to be together. Their lives were heading in completely different directions and it felt like they had nothing more than enough chemistry for a casual short-term relationship.
I would've liked to have at least a few chapters that were from Dex's perspective. I know this would deviate from DeLuca's M.O. in the other books in this series, but I think it would've gone a long way towards establishing Dex as more than a 2-D character whose only purpose was to make this book a romance. It also would've given insight into his feelings towards Lulu, which seemed nonexistent otherwise.

Overall, if you want an easy read that won't stress you out and will leave you with pretty much no bad feelings, then I'd say go ahead and read this. It wasn't bad but it wasn't exactly good either. If you are a fan of this series you'll likely enjoy having more time spent in the Ren Faire and seeing character's from previous books.

A sheer delight and probably the most joyful fun of the series. I don't know what it is about the Ren Faire setting...DeLuca makes it seem like the most romantic thing in the world. My one complaint is that Dex should be wearing a kilt on the cover!

Jen DeLuca took me back to the Renaissance Faire, and it was another fun trip I didn't realize I needed.

Things I LOVED about Well Traveled:
• Lulu's career revelation and subsequent actions. I feel like we have all either been Lulu or want to be Lulu here.
• The tarot card storyline. Totally my jam.
• Traveling with the Faire. I love being emersed in that culture, even just for a bit.
• The MOMENT at the end of the book. Major swoon points, in a very low-key way.
• How this author matches the most unlikely characters.

I would have loved to have Dex's POV, but that's forever a "me problem."I would have loved to feel a little more tension between Lulu and Dex, but that's the enemies-to-lovers fan in me.

I will forever recommend this series, and the latest addition., for a well-written, fun read.

I've read all the other books in this series & she does setting and descriptions so beautifully! It really makes me feel like I'm there. My only complaint is that, because the story is only from Lulu's POV, we get so little of Dex. It's not until about 35% in that we get meaningful interaction between them, and I would have loved to hear his thoughts and how he feels about Lulu before they get together.

I have never been so excited to get approved for an advanced reading copy! I was so looking forward to reading the story of LuLu, the attorney who quit her job in a particularly dramatic manner mid-renaissance fair, and Dex, the guitarist who has had many a renaissance fair fling.

I have loved every single book in this series and this was no exception. I was initially nervous that I wouldn’t feel much emotional connection to the characters as they haven’t been heavily involved in the previous books but I was completely wrong. Dex and LuLu are so loveable and getting to see the other couples again was lovely! If you’re looking for a cozy read, I couldn’t recommend this series enough.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the advanced reading copy in exchange for my honest review!

***Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with a digital copy of this book in exchange for an honest review***
I don't know how Jen DeLuca did it again, but she continues to create better and better stories in the Ren Faire series. I thought I loved the first book, but now I'm so in love with Dex and LuLu that I can never choose. I love how she incorporates the old characters into stories about the new ones. It all comes full circle and I want more!

Sweet as can be! "Well Traveled" is a warm, witty romance that will complement any reader's shelves. Jen DeLuca has hit it out of the park with this one.

This was a great addition to the series. I loved Lulu and Dex and how they were around each other. While their romance was great I wanted something a little more. They went so quickly from not being in a relationship to I love you and let's arrange our lives around each other and what we want. I would have liked to see their romance be longer and flushed out a little better. I found it odd that Dex just stopped being a certain way for her automatically. And I really hated how the band members and his family treated him. No wonder he liked Lulu. She treated him like a decent human being with thoughts and ideas. I loved getting to be back at the fair again and love seeing the traveling. I feel like Lulu had alot of character development while Dex switched so quickly it didn't seem as realistic. This series has some of the best found family friends in it that I have ever seen and I have enjoyed every book I've read so far. They are quick and fun reads but some could use a little more added in to make the story better.

I’m rounding up 3.5 stars to 4 for the love of Renaissance Faire stars!

I mostly liked this book but I found this a little lighter than the other books of the sequel! There are so many things I enjoyed but I had some hesitations about love story!

Pros: this book totally takes place in road trip to Faire universe!

Mitch and Well Played’s Stacey, Daniel and Declan/ Dex- Dueling Kits are back again!

Cons: this book is more women’s fiction and a woman’s self growth story than romance

On Well Played: there’s a Cyrano Bergerac style love triangle between Daniel-Stacey and Dex! I didn’t like much about it! At this book Daniel and Stacey are happily together as Dex is still popular playboy of their band!

When I started this book I was a little biased about Dex’s character. I thought this book will be bad boy meets over achier, genuine, career oriented girl story! But it’s more than that!
Lula/ Louisa is sent to North Carolina to fix a client’s problem which could be fixed by any other newbie or intern. She finds herself buying ticket for Renaissance Faire. She gets used to spend her time those places where her cousin Mitch ( we know him from first book and he’s my favorite character of the series) performs. After getting scolded by her bosses on the phone, there’s something clicks inside. Finally she realizes she’s never gonna be partner in the firm and she quits, throwing her phone to the lake which made her famous around Faire crew!

She meets with Mitch’s friend Stacey ( heroine of second book Well Played) and talks Mitch on the phone. Both Stacey and Mitch push her to take a break from her corporate life and join the road trip to work for Faire!

And she accepts to sleep in RV, selling turkey legs, collecting money for tip box, befriending faire’s mediums. And mostly she becomes a part of family created by Stacey and Dueling Kilts.
She also gets closer with Dex even though everyone including Stacey says he’s bad news.

In this book we realize Dex is not douche that we’re thinking: he’s kind and gold hearted with smart planning skills.

Dex and Lula’s friends to lovers story didn’t affect me just like other stories in the series but I enjoyed to spend more time at Renaissance Faire and the self growth story of Louisa was worth to read!

This is not my favorite book of the series but as a fan I couldn’t skip it. It’s still well written and entertaining.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Berkley Publishing for sharing this digital reviewer copy with me in exchange my honest thoughts.

Jenn Deluca’s latest Renaissance Faire romance does not disappoint! Lulu, an overworked lawyer, spontaneously quits her job and joins the Renaissance Faire circuit, hitching a ride with the sexy Celtic band, The Dueling Kilts. Lulu’s romance with bad-boy lead guitarist Dex is lovely, but following Lulu as she gradually learns fall in love with the travelling Faire scene is the best part. Fans will appreciate how characters from the previous novels pop up throughout the story. These books are a breath of fresh, turkey leg-scented air. For faire fans who can’t attend the real deal, Deluca’s fictional Renaissance Faires are the next best thing.

Well Traveled is the fourth installment in author Jen DeLuca's Well Met renaissance faire romance series. And while I can't say the series needed a fourth book--particularly one as similar in theme as book three--I did ultimately enjoy this read immensely.

When Louisa "Lulu" can't take one more year over being passed over for partner at her prestigious law firm in favor of a more junior white male, she throws her phone into the lake. Well, not literally. It's actually a laundry tub. In a comedy show. At a renaissance faire. When the traveling band, Deuling Kilts, takes her in as she leaves her old life behind--at least, temporarily--she begins spending more and more time with their hunky lead singer, Dex. But Dex's reputation with the ladies precedes him, and Lulu isn't looking for a hook-up.

This book fits into the series swimmingly, and hits all the right notes. My only complaint, really, is that Dex's playboy reputation with a hidden heart of gold is strikingly similar to that of the male lead in the third book, Mitch. I think something different would have gone a long way, especially with the two books being back-to-back. But as a stand-alone, this one is stellar, and I had a fun time reading!

Thanks to Berkley for my eARC! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

5 stars - 9/10

This is probably the best in the series. Not only does it capture the renaissance atmosphere magic of the original book, we get to travel with the characters from faire to faire. And who can resist a misunderstood f*ck boy with a heart of gold? Lulu’s book for the win! Extra points for tarot cards and charming tuxedo cat.

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

This is the fourth book in the series but can be read entirely as a standalone (with minor spoilers for the rest of the series)

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

-m/f friends to lovers
-vacation romance
-hot guy in a kilt
-close-proximity
-ren faire
-this is just a hookup
-we are definitely not looking for a relationship
-are these feeling?

This book was very much what if we just ran away to the ren faire and it was the escapism I needed. Lulu quit her job as an attorney in a spectacular fashion, ditches her life and joins the ren faire for a couple weeks, ignoring all responsibility. And hanging out/hooking up with the the hot guy in a kilt that is the ren faire player.

This was fun, light, but I really enjoyed the deeper levels of this. How we can become stuck in how people perceive us and other people's expectations, how it's almost easier. How hard it can be to do something for yourself, set your own path and fight against the mold everyone set for yourself. Dex and Lulu have both been breakout characters for me, especially Dex. Him and his kilt have been hovering around the edges of the series and it was so lovely to see him get his HEA on his terms.

I love how both Lulu and Dex saw each other and respected their dreams in a way no one else had before. I hope this series never ends, I always need my yearly fix of going to the ren faire.

Steam: 3

4.5 stars. Louisa has been hustling for years to earn a senior partner spot at her corporate law firm. When she finds out they have no intention of promoting her, she throws her phone in the nearest body of water (a convenient laundry tub), and hitches a ride with a band on the Renaissance Faire circuit. Slowly, Louisa becomes Lulu, a more carefree (and phone-free) person who enjoys traveling with the Dueling Kilts and helping a trio of stressed-out fortune tellers at the Faire. One of those Kilts is Dex, talented musician and famed himbo. But as Lulu gets to know Dex behind the scenes, she realizes there might be more to him than anyone suspects.

It's always a pleasure returning to DeLuca's Ren Faire world, and revisiting old friends. The central conflict in this story felt similar to the previous book or two, where two basically good people like each other, but aren't sure how they might integrate their very different lives. But I suppose that makes sense, since a Renaissance Faire lifestyle seems pretty unique.

Thanks to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for the ARC to review. All opinions are my own.

I have loved this series since the beginning but this was the weakest one for me. I would classify it more as women's fiction than romance. The hero's thoughts and development are so opaque that I didn't believe them as a lasting couple by the end. It was fun to see characters from past books and experience a deeper exploration of Ren Faire life. But I wanted more from the central characters and the development of their relationship.

Thank you for the chance to preview this title for our Independent Bookstore! I absolutely adore this series! Jen Deluca has done it again with the newest in this series! I love getting lost in the Ren Faire world and this cast of characters is so much fun! Sometimes get a bit of a Gilmores Girl vibe, which I think is lovely! I think this is an exceptional family story woven throughout with swoon-worthy romance and incredible friendships! We continue to hand sell this series at our store! I can't wait to tell our customers about this newest release!