Member Reviews

In this Tangled rom com retelling, Ren was raised in rural Idaho, off the grid completely (Educated by Tara Westover themes). When she talks her parents into letting her go to college during the week, she begins to see how different the outside world is. She meets the charming Fitz who seems to have it all. She convinces (blackmails) him into taking her to Atlanta during Spring Break to meet the man who came up on a science class DNA test as her biological father.

As Ren and Fitz travel the country together, both soften towards each other as they are tested by their families and the world.

I am a big fan of these Disney rom com updates, called the Meant to Be series. This one was a little darker than some of the other ones (and a little different for popular authors Christina Lauren) and well worth the read. Tangled fans will love it, rom com readers will like it for its little nods to the famous story and completely new situations. This is not very spicy but still reads slightly older than some of the other books in the series- maybe 16 or 17+. If Disney keeps commissioning these, I will keep reading them! Great combinations of classic stories, updated by quality authors.

Thank you to Netgalley for the advance copy for review.

Was this review helpful?

I adored this book so much! I read this book as fast as I could and didn't want to put it down! Ren is a bit awkward but she's so endearing. She doesn't have a mean bone in her body, but she does know a lot. Most of it self taught. So she's not like most girls. She finds some unexpected news and winds up on a road trip, away from what she knows. This was a cute, swoony, very different read and I was here for it! While I was able to guess a few things that were happening in the book, I was still surprised by it and needed to keep reading to find out the why. I enjoyed the journey Fitz and Ren took and I liked seeing their walls come down slowly and seeing them enjoy one another. Highly recommend this book!

Was this review helpful?

Rating: 4/5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Tangled Up In You is Christina Lauren’s retelling of Disney’s – you guessed it – Tangled. It is apart of the Meant To Be Collection – which I never heard of until I requested this book. (If I am being honest I didn’t know what this book was about when I requested it, I just saw Clo and just knew I needed to read it.)

This story was really cute. I fell in love with both Ren and Fritz, they had instant chemistry and I loved how you see Fritz begin to see all of Ren’s “annoying” characteristics as endearing. There was actually a lot of depth to this story which made this for a really fun read, almost read like a mystery rom-com if you will, which was darker than I expected, even though I am aware of the concept of Tangled.. At the end of the day, I really enjoyed this one.

This was a very heartfelt read. There was a lot of finding oneself, about letting go of the past and forgiveness. To all my Disney fans – pick this one up – you will absolutely love it.

Tangled Up In You was released last week on 6/25. Huge thank you to @netgalley @hyperionavebooks and @christinalauren to the eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I loved this book and the romance. I love their writing and it always makes me giddy. Their banter was amazing and exactly what I want in a rom-com book.

Was this review helpful?

Two Christina Lauren books in one year was such a treat! I loved everything about this book. The banter was perfection, the pacing was perfect, and the writing flowed beautifully. If you love rom-com’s this is absolutely for you. Do not skip this one!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this ARC!

Was this review helpful?

I've never watched Tangled, so I thought I could go in with an open mind.
Christina Lauren is what I call one of my OG authors. I've read all of their books. Remember that this is a retelling, so it doesn't have the same feel as their other books. It was a quick and enjoyable read for me. Fitz and Ren are both loveable and very entertaining. If you've got a road trip planned and need a laugh, grab this one on audiobook.

Was this review helpful?

I loved how this was a Tangled retelling - I thought it was very well done and unique. Although, I honestly would have liked even more Tangled references. The uncertainty of Ren's DNA results definitely kept me guessing and engaged. It read almost like a YA novel, which was fine but I think it was suppose to be geared towards adults/ new adults.

Was this review helpful?

What an adorable, fun and enjoyable read! Tangled Up in You is everything you'd expect for a Disney retelling of our favorite movie Tangled. If you enjoyed the movie, then you'll love the book. There's forced proximity, cross country road trip, and grumpy x sunshine with the Disney Happily Ever After. I really enjoyed the bit of suspense and additional depth of Fritz character development. Honestly, I'd go see this if it was the script to the live-action remake. Go into this book expecting a more YA/Disney approach and you'll be satisfied.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to #NetGalley, Christina Lauren, and the publisher of this book for the eARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

Ren has never been into technology. She prefers reading, painting and even taught herself how to build a working wind power system. Fitz has his whole life planned out. He's going to graduate at the top of his class and get his record wiped clean. Everything is going to plan until Ren comes crashing into his life. When a road trip for one of their classes changes both of their lives, will they start to have feelings for each other?

A modern spin on Rapunzel! Another fun boon in the Meant to Be series.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this so much. Tangled retelling, the writing and plot was good and I easily got attached to the characters. The ending definitely had Disney vibes and I’m living for it. I really loved this

Was this review helpful?

This book, the fourth in the Meant to Be series, is one of my favorites! The characters are so well written that it plays like a movie in my mind. The characters are also very relatable, and the plot is easy to follow, while also keeping you guessing. This book is definitely one you will want to read in one sitting as the pages flow like butter and the storyline begs to be followed through to the end. I was already a big Christina Lauren fan, but this book has cinched it for me. I wasn't sure how the Rapunzel theme would be worked into the plot and was surprised to see how it was done...and so well. I almost wish this storyline could continue but readers are assured that there is a happily ever after for Ren and Edward.

Was this review helpful?

I really liked parts of this book, and didn't like others. I was not at ALL invested in the romance between the two main characters. In fact, at about 35 percent of this book, I was so sick of them together that I skipped to the end to find out what happened with Ren's family. I did like the ending, but the rest was just so boring. Not bad. I just had no desire to keep reading. I might have liked the audiobook better, but because it was an Audible original and wasn't accessible through the library I had no interest in it. Bummer as I really loved some of the other books in this series.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I believe this is a modern retelling of the Disney movie Tangled, which I haven't seen, so this may be a contributing factor in giving 3 stars. Ren is a homesteader who attends college and everything about her is endearing - naivety and unaccustomed eyes to a progressing world. She links up with Ren, campus king and social butterfly. They unexpectedly embark on a road trip across country as friends and by the end, well, you know what happens.

Was this review helpful?

Tangled Up in You is a modern retelling of Tangled following Ren, a 22 year old who grew up on a rural homestead with her parents and was very isolated from the outside world until she convinces her parents to finally let her attend college. When an assignment in her immunology seminar changes everything Ren thought she knew about her life, she convinces Fitz, a charming man with a rough past, to take her on a road trip that will change both of their lives.

This book was cute and I loved how Christina Lauren took all the integral elements of Tangled and incorporated them into a modern setting. I also really liked Ren's character development as she learned more about the world. Overall, reading this book gave me the same feeling as watching a Disney movie and I had a good time reading it!

Rating: 3.5/5 stars

Was this review helpful?

This was easily my favorite of the Meant to Be series. I love Tangled and Christina Lauren did a fantastic job of retelling the story. I was wondering how intense the end would be and it delivered. I love Ren and Fitz's characters and they had me tearing up by the end of the story. Their love story was so well done and it was awesome to see how they changed each other as the book went on. I also loved how Max was included into the book as Fitz's car. This was simply a fantastic retelling. The only thing I wish is that Pascal was included more and that he had gone with Ren at the end to the hotel. That is only critique I have, otherwise I truly loved this book.

Was this review helpful?

This Tangled retelling from Christina Lauren was absolutely adorable. CL was able to keep the romance element strong while the characters only went as far as kissing. This book is absolutely appropriate for high schoolers even though the characters are in college.

Was this review helpful?

Charmed by Ren and Fitz
What happens when you spend four days in the hospital and come home feeling unable to do anything? Well, folks, you get me. June and the beginning of July haven’t gone as planned, but I can happily say that this book pulled me out of both a reading and reviewing slump. I loved it so much and can’t wait to feel well enough to get a physical copy.

Ren and Fitz were utterly charming, making me smile from start to finish. Some writers could pen a grocery list and I’d probably give it a shot. When it comes to YA Romance, that number can be counted on one hand with fingers left over. But as I finished Christina Lauren’s “Tangled Up in You” – a delightful modern reimagining of the classic fairy tale Rapunzel plus Disney’s Tangled – I had the same fizzy buzz I’d get as a kid when my heroine got her happily ever after. Even if I wouldn’t normally select a YA title, the story absolutely worked for me as a romance and a fairy tale retelling.

Christina Lauren has crafted a tale that is not only a nod to a classic but also a celebration of finding oneself and love in spite of a bumpy past. In this case, a past that cannot be changed or fixed by magic. (Unless you count therapy as magic, which I do.) I found myself turning pages quickly and looking up other books by Christina Lauren to add to my growing pile.

Twenty-two-year-old Ren has never attended formal schooling, having lived a secluded life on a rural farm in Idaho. Her parents finally agree to let her go to college, but only if she adheres to a strict set of rules. Ren embodies the phrase “innocent optimist.” Every experience in the “real world” is a first for her—first friend, first doughnut, first crush—you get the picture. It’s a joy to watch her discover the world at an age when most people are starting their independent lives.

Enter Fitz. He’s irresistibly charming, top of his class, from a wealthy family, and seems to have it all. But no one at Corona College knows the real Fitz, and he’s afraid they might not like him if they did. When an opportunity arises for Ren to leave town on a secret quest, she blackmails Fitz into taking her to Nashville, where he also has a secret meeting.

This story is a road trip across America, with Ren experiencing countless “firsts” and Fitz falling for the girl he thinks he shouldn’t. I loved the connections to Tangled: Fitz is Eugene Fitzherbert, better known as Flynn Rider; Fitz’s car, Max, is as stubborn as Maximus the horse; and Ren, of course, is the intelligent but naive Rapunzel. A retelling works when you love the characters as much as the original, and I adored Ren and Fitz. They each have unique storylines, and I loved reading about them falling for each other. Their first kiss is one of the sweetest and hottest I’ve read in a long time, and it felt so natural for them to be together. There’s so much kissing in this book, and you can feel how much they enjoy each other’s company. I was also thrilled with how Fitz handles consent. He makes her feel valued and seen, and it’s beautiful.

Even though readers might see where the story is headed, they’ll still love the journey. You get a sweet love story combined with a bit of mystery and intrigue, and all the lovey-dovey feels. Because this is for young adults, or even middle grade, the intimacy is kept to kissing and there’s some very well-handled discussion of boundaries and consent. That doesn’t mean it’s not very romantic in the classic sense and just the right amount of steamy. The dynamic between Ren and Fitz is beautifully crafted, with humor and sweetness woven into their interactions and playful banter. I look forward to going into this author's back catalog when I need a pick-me-up because the writing worked like a charm.

Was this review helpful?

A modern take of Rapunzel…sign me up! This was such a sweet book. I loved the banter and relationship between Fitz and Ren. I enjoyed reading the books from the main characters. Christina Lauren are amazing and I always enjoy the books they right!

Was this review helpful?

I love this series and I love that it’s all written by different rom-com authors! I enjoyed this retelling of Rapunzell. It was a fun read.

Was this review helpful?

I loved this modern retelling of Rapunzel. The characters of Ren and Fitz are charming and easy to love. I wish there had been more resolution at the end, because I wanted to see their happily ever after, but it was wrapped up nicely (albeit a little quickly) with a nice little bow.

Was this review helpful?