Member Reviews
A perfect addition to the ren fair world. I loved the new characters and the glimpses of the others. I loved Lulu and Dex. Such a well written pairing with fantastic banter and love.
An enormous thank you to NetGalley, Berkley Publishing Group, and of course Jen DeLuca for providing me with an eARC of this book. I am voluntarily leaving a review, all opinions are my own.
This one was SO CUTE. I absolutely loved Lulu and watching her grow into her own over the course of this book. I loved watching her take everything in stride and listen to Mitch telling her to take a break and disconnect for the summer. She so obviously needed it and it ended up even better than she could have hoped for.
Definitely going to say this one made me want to go out and buy a tarot card deck. I loved hearing the different styles of spreads and readings and getting more of a glimpse into that.
Great addition to this series and I will forever read anything DeLuca writes. Highly recommend!
I have read every book in this series and they are all so darn cute! I particularly loved this one, as I found Lulu to be very relatable. Who doesn't want to impulsively quit their job and run off to join the Renaissance Faire? I also enjoyed how this novel focused less on the romance (though their is still plenty!) and more on Lulu's personal growth. Fingers crossed we will have another instalment to look forward to soon!
The first book of this series was such a delight but every one since has been a disappointment. Particularly with this last one, the author has returned to this well too many times and it’s just not working. Perhaps a new series will be better, but I’m not holding my breath. Didn’t see chemistry, very repetitive, and boring,
I received this ARC from Net Galley. Jen DeLuca does not disappoint in another yet again laugh out loud rom com. The characters were humorous and relatable. I fell in love with this storyline and was invested right from the start. Looking forward to more from this author!
3.5
While I found this one to be enjoyable, I went into it expecting more of a cute romance story. Yes, this one has a cute romance but it more focuses on character growth and the romance definitely takes a back seat. If I would have known that going into this one I wouldn’t have had the expectations that I did. Luckily, I really liked the main character and was happy to accompany her on her journey. I liked the love interest as well and how they interacted together. This is the first book I’ve read by this author but it definitely won’t be the last. I would like to give the other books in the series a try. I really loved the author’s writing style and how she was able to describe the Renaissance Faire so well. I haven’t been to one in years and the way this story was told made me want to visit one immediately! Overall, I would definitely recommend this one!
Thank you so much @berkleyromance for the gifted copy on Netgalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This will forever be one of my favorite series! Obviously, the first in the series, Well Met, is the best, but I've enjoyed them all. This one, however, is definitely now my second favorite behind Well Met! I loved the characters, and I loved that a lot of this book took place outside of the setting of the first three books. I can't get enough of this series!
5/5 Stars
** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**
I loved this book. It was flirty, fun and gave me some fun tarot and witchy vibes I didn't expect. I really had a great time with the romance in this book. I thought Dex and Louisa were a cute couple. I loved that the throwing the phone scene. I have imagined myself doing the exact same thing on a few occasions. I really just felt comforted while reading. This book was just exactly what I needed. I read it all in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. I was ready for the romance between these two to blossom. For sure one of my favorites in this series.
This was another fantastic contemporary romance from Jen DeLuca! Overall, I would definitely recommend!
I received an e-ARC from the publisher.
Lulu is our beloved Mitch's cousin. High profile lawyer, at her breaking point decides to go ghost on her regular life and run away to the ren fair for the summer. It was so nice to be back in the world I love. Especially with all the characters I've missed. This read like more of a women's fic about Lulu finding herself and her place - which is great - but not what I expected. I was in it for the romance which felt largely brushed over. It wasn't really a slow burn, or an enemies to lovers, or very smutty. The romance very much took a back seat which is wildly disappointing.
After realizing no matter how hard she works, she won’t make partner at her current law firm, Lulu quits her job & takes up with friend’s of her cousin Mitch, The Dueling Kilts & temporarily joins the Renaissance Faire. She meets Dex, the handsome, man bun wearing guitarist with a woman at every Faire. While Lulu seems to be the only one immune to his charms, she’s also the only on who see him for more than the pretty faced façade he puts on.
Quick Breakdown:
Forced Proximity
Reformed Playboy
Sudden Roommates
Open Door: Mild Detail
Single POV
This was such a delight. I’ve loved Jen’s Well Met series since reading through the first three books last fall. The Renaissance Faire setting is just so unique. With most of the story taking place there, the strong imagery makes you feel so much more immersed in Faire culture. The setting along with Lulu & her solid character arc were my favorite things.
I was really excited to have Dex as our hero since reading about him in the previous books. I wanted nothing more than to see him fall in love, but I found it hard to connect with him. IMO, reformed player is a very hard trope to pull off in a single POV romance. With that, on top of a slow build, I was left wishing we had more romance on page to sell me on the couple.
That being said, the audiobook here was really well done. I went back & forth between reading & listening, making it even easier to get wrapped up in the story.
Lulu is a total workaholic who has had enough. When she throws her phone into a tub of water and quits her job on a whim, she has to figure out what she is going to do with herself. Luckily for her, she is at a renaissance fair where they are more than happy to have her tour with the Dueling Kilts and their very handsome group member named Dex.
Sparks fly but when the summer is over, will Lulu go with her heart or head back to the corporate world?
I LOVE THIS SERIES!! Everything about these books is just amazing. The characters never fail to make me smile and laugh. AHH I can't say enough wonderful things. I definitely recommend it.
Jen DeLuca’s Renaissance Faire series just hits for me. Well Traveled really takes the Ren Faire fantasy to live with Lulu having a bit of a break down, quitting her job, destroying her cell phone and running off to travel with a band to faires for two months. I mean, who doesn’t have a secret fantasy about dropping everything and running away (especially for me to Renaissance Faires). Renaissance meaning rebirth really fits in this context too. Lulu is looking for a rebirth, a restart. She really takes this time to examine what she wants in life, the impact of her family on her choices, and what truly makes her happy. And along the way she discovers that a hot guitar player in a kilt really makes her happy.
Dex definitely feels like the less flesh-out character in the book. Part of that is the story is all from Lulu’s POV but he also has the fun-loving, lady’s man persona and even as that starts to fall away, I feel like we only get glimpses into him. Also, with Lulu going through such upheaval, growth, and change, she’s the dominate focus of the book and he gets brushed aside a bit. I would have liked more insight into Dex because at times he almost feels like a desire rather than a full-fledged character.
As the reader, you quickly get pulled into the emotions of Lulu and feel the weight she is under until she cracks. And you understand her panic but also excitement at a different life and adventure. She travels with the band and Stacey and Daniel from Well Played but always craves out a role for herself at the faires. This is a story of rebirth and what better place for it than Renaissance Faires, surrounded by pageantry, costumes, fortune-telling, and turkey legs?
I really like this series, but this one is my least favorite. The romance took a long time to begin and it was very heavy on the faire details, which didn’t interest me much.
4 stars
You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.
This is a super cute contemporary romance involving a high-powered corporate attorney and a Renaissance Faire Irish kilt-wearing lead singer in a band. Louisa, "Lulu" to her cousin, is out of town for work. Completely stressed out, she discovers a Renaissance Faire is taking place nearby and goes there for an escape. While there, she runs into a band that she met earlier that summer while attending a faire with her cousin. When events take a drastic turn, Louisa finds herself unemployed and running away with the faire for the summer.
Dex is the guitar player and singer for the band. He's handsome, charming and the faire circuit lothario. He's got a woman at every faire, and he's happy about that. He's confused by Louisa's indifference to his charms, and when the band's future is in doubt, he must face something he's avoided so far. His future.
I enjoyed seeing Louisa's transformation into carefree Lulu. Her mind is opened to new opportunities and she finds herself succumbing to Dex's charm. Dex starts out as the stereotypical bad boy, but Lula is able to see a side of Dex that he doesn't share with everyone. As they spend quiet times together and learn more about each other, the couple get closer and closer until eventually they hook up. Both are happy and content with their relationship, but know there is a time clock on it. I really enjoyed the dynamic of the band, and the minor characters added depth and humor to the story. Dex and Lulu's flirtation was so cute, and I loved reading their banter.
When the band reaches the faire in Lulu's cousin's town, Lulu starts looking for work and leaves the faire circuit. Dex knows he can't leave the life he's always known, traveling and playing music he loves so much. Can they admit their feelings for each other and come to a compromise? Will Lulu and Dex follow their heads or their hearts?
If you're looking for a cute, fun, flirty romance that is a quick and easy read, I highly recommend you read this one. Although it's part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group. All opinions are my own.
This was such a cute story! I truly love this series – and it’s definitely given me a new appreciation for the Renaissance Faire. That said, I don’t think this was my favorite of the series overall.
So far, that’s still reserved for Well Matched. But even still, I LOVED how this book took the time to uncover a character that had been perceived one way their entire life: as a playboy, basically. Dex is so much more than that once we get a chance to get to know him, but even he has fed into the reputation people have given him. That is, until Lulu – Mitch’s cousin – drops into the faire circuit by accident in desperate need of escape.
If you haven’t read this series yet, I definitely recommend it. There are fun enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, catfishing, and found family moments throughout each book. They are all slow burn romcoms and are filled with characters you will wish you could spend your summers with.
Thank you @berkleypublishing @netgalley and @letstalkbookspromo for my Advance reader copy
This is my favorite book of the author’s Renaissance Faire series! I enjoyed Well Met, the first one in the series but this one was absolutely fun and romantic and perfect. If you’ve read the others, you’ll love the latest installment featuring Lulu and Dex. You can also read it as a stand-alone without missing anything.
Louisa (Lulu) Malone is working night and day trying to make partner at the huge law firm where she’s an attorney. When Louisa is sent on assignment and tries to take just a couple of hours off at a local Renaissance Faire, she ends up in an argument via phone with her relentless senior partner. A meltdown ensues and she quits her job. Luckily, she knows a few of the fair workers through her cousin, Mitch.
Dex MacLean is the irresistible lead guitarist for The Kilts, a performing favorite Ren Faire band. Lulu’s being told he’s bad news, but she’s seeing something more. When Lulu takes a few weeks traveling with the fair, it becomes a journey to find herself and what’s really important in life.
Full review post on Instagram @on_a_sandbar
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Well Traveled is the fourth book in the Well Met series by Jen DeLuca and is very well written & executed as a book overall.
Lulu is a workaholic attorney but while in North Carolina for work (of course), she feels the pull of the local Renfaire. So she goes and guess who she sees there? Stacy and the Dueling Kilts! She met them when she was visiting her cousin Mitch the summer before.
But while it’s great to know people when you’re at a place like Renfaire, Stacy also happens to witness Lulu’s major meltdown. Not only does she yell at her boss and quit her job, but she also throws her phone into a laundry tub of water. #relatable
This leads to a decision that will change her life forever. She’s going to go completely off the grid and travel with Stacy and The Dueling Kilts including the one and only Dex.
At first, Lulu could not be less impressed with him. His flirting does not work on her but she completely understands why it works on other women. She has eyes after all.
But the more she travels with the group, the more Dex opens himself up to her and she sees a side to him that no one has ever seen, she feels a connection she never would have expected. While he’s still flirty, he’s also kind, thoughtful, and helpful when given the chance.
But as Lulu starts to notice, people don’t give Dex a chance to prove himself. They just assume he can’t or won’t want to do certain things. She allows him to open up, seeks out his thoughts, opinions, and interests, and listens. Dex didn’t stand a chance lol!
As for Dex, he’s never met anyone like Lulu who sees him as more than just a good time. More than just a body and a good-looking face. He can’t help but be intrigued by her and soon, he realizes he might just have feelings for her.
Unfortunately, as they go from fair to fair, their time is quickly coming to an end. Lulu will be staying with Mitch and then getting back to her life. Unless the two decide they want to put their hearts out there and try for something more.
In my opinion, no one but Lulu could have made me like Dex. She is honest, blunt, and doesn’t take his crap. But she also brings out something in him that we never saw in the other books. It’s wonderful. Lulu’s point of view is really what makes this story. I loved getting to know her and getting to know Dex better.
I also loved seeing Lulu build relationships with Stacy and the other people she worked with at the fairs. I loved seeing her open up her mind to other ways of living. Whether it be tarot reading, crystals, or traveling in a caravan, as the story goes on, she becomes more and more open-minded and happy. She has made me want to buy a tarot deck of my own!
I also liked learning about Dex’s brothers, their relationships, and of course, MITCH! He tried to be protective of Lulu but that shit was not happening lol.
Well Traveled is a great addition to the Well Met series and further proves why I love it so much. I am giving it 4 out of 5 stars!
Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca is available now.
Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review.