Heavier than I expected for a fairytale retelling. I didn't necessarily dislike it, but I also wasn't in love.

REN & FITZ FOREVER!

Ren is very sheltered, growing up on a farmstead and hasn’t been in the outside world until college.

Fitz (Edward) is the golden boy but has a past…

They couldn’t be any more different but after a roadtrip together everything changes…

The ending felt very rushed and I wish there was an epilogue!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this earc

This books was cute. Let me start with Tangled is my favorite Disney movie so when I saw this was a modern retelling, I requested it sooo quickly.
And like it said. It was cute. But it could have been so much more. I like the idea of Ren being completely sheltered from the world and going off to college.
Even the road trip was cute. But I felt like something was missing. Maybe this book needed more page so the characters can spend more time together. Maybe they need more of an ending. I don’t know. I just know it wasn’t my favorite.

But I would still tell you to pick it up, if you’re looking for something quick and sweet

Ren is a sheltered, home-schooled daughter of a pair of homesteaders who want to keep Ren away from the evils of the outside world. When she begs to go to college at age 23, they finally relent and let her attend a single semester, though she MUST come home to do her chores every weekend, and keep to herself while on campus. A school project and subsequent stealthy trip inside one of her classrooms after hours lead her to blackmailing the school's most notorious hottie to drive Ren to the other side of the country, looking for answers. Bonding and exposition about their pasts and their home lives lead to lots of romance and angst.

Ren is obviously naive, but still fairly strong willed. I like that she knows multiple languages and is a whiz at math and mechanics. I wish I was a bit more taken with Fitz's character, but I get the draw. The ties to Tangled are cute, sometimes a little too obvious, but pretty good.

Now I get that I got to read this ahead of its release date, so there's things that might change and all that. But of Christina Lauren's books, this is not even in my top 5. I really think they could have fleshed out the ending because there's so much exposition, and not enough seeing them actually going through the things that need to happen at the end of the book. There's (currently) too much telling, and not enough showing at the very end. (BUT only there, and not anywhere else.)

It's cute. It gets the romance job done. It scratches those itches. But it could've been better, especially since I've read their other work and loved them all.

I received an Advanced Reader Copy via NetGalley in return for sharing my thoughts on this book. Thanks to the author and publisher for this opportunity!

Tangled Up in You is pure delight. I have not read a book from the talented writing duo that is Christina Lauren, since their Beautiful Bastard days. Knowing how their star has been shining brightly ever since I knew it was time to give them a go once more. And was I in for a treat! This book was nothing like I expected as I went in completely blind and what I experienced was the most perfectly imperfect road trip ever.

I fell for Lauren's writing style all those years ago because they gave us memorable characters who got under our skin in the very best way. Ren Gylden and Edward/Fitz Fitzsimmons are the latest to make their mark and I was thrilled to be along for their wild adventure. What starts as a look into the world of the secluded Ren, who was brought up off the grid with her parents and farm by her side, expands to her first foray into being on her own at a college in nearby Spokane, Washington. A far cry from her home in Idaho, this exuberant and curious 22-year-old managed to charm everyone she came into contact with. All the while shedding her 'odd' persona since it was too incredible for most of her fellow college students to believe that she had never attended school, had a cell phone, internet or TV and basically lived off the land for most of her life.

However, once she crosses paths with the uber-charming Fitz and catches him one night breaking into a mutual professor's records, everything for both of them will never be the same. I loved how Ren could be feisty and actually very clever when need be when you'd expect her to be beyond naive and docile. I think she even surprised the oft-times aloof and snarky Fitz with her proposal that he take her across the country so she can solve a mystery of her parentage that suddenly came to light. The use of blackmail is clearly something Ren would have never done in her former existence but with everything on the line for her and her childhood memory of fireworks still very deep within the recesses of her brain, there was no way she was letting Fitz say no to her decision to head to Atlanta while he would go his own way in Nashville.

The road trip itself is truly life-changing for both Ren and Fitz. I loved how her zest for life and knowledge albeit at first it felt like an annoying buzz in Fitz's ears, became what he craved most as his hardened heart started to soften with each passing day. Each has a charm all their own and their little side trips to tourist attractions only solidified their chemistry with one another thus beginning the most unlikely of romances.

Much happens in the short time these two are together, both back at Corona College and as they make their way to Nashville. I was happy to be an invisible back seat passenger as Ren and Fitz challenge each other and learn to care for one another when it was the last thing on either of their determined minds. Lauren keeps the pace easy with the right amount of emotion and surprise actions. Being able to devour this gem within a day with how well the story progressed, in my opinion, says it all.

The last 20 percent or so involves some sudden changes for both Fitz and Ren and I was anxious as to how their ever-changing situations would eventually resolve. Much more is revealed than I even thought possible but in the end, it's the love and devotion Fitz has for his Sunshine that ultimately saves the day and Ren's fragile soul. The way Lauren concludes this extraordinary quest for truths and thoughts of revenge that eventually lead our couple to the love of a lifetime was beautifully crafted.

Tangled Up in You is touching, witty and full of life. The absolute perfect beach read or when you're sitting by the pool, this is a book I won't soon forget and showed me that Christina Lauren deserves all the accolades they have received these past 10+ years, making me a fan once more of their stellar writing and storytelling prowess.

I'm extremely pleased I had the chance to lose myself in this book and happily give Tangled Up In You a huge 5 stars!

Tangled Up In You is book 4 in the “Meant to Be” Disney series. While they are stand-alone, they have so far modernized the love stories of Cinderella, Belle, Ariel and now Punzy. So to be honest, if you’re not a fan of the Disney movies, these may be a bit too much for you.

This book follows Ren, a super sheltered adult (22 but really naive so feels 17) heading off to college. And I’m going to stop right here and say- this book REALLY feels YA. I’ve read my share of NA college romances, and this felt even younger. It’s undoubtedly REN’s naivety, and Christina Lauren did the best they could, but it’s hard to build a deep romance with a child-like FMC. She soon means Fitz and together they’re a perfect grumpy-sunshine duo. When Ren discovers a mystery surrounding her parentage, the two hit the road to find her answers.

Two bummers: it lacks CL’s typical witty banter. Also, really no steam. It’s truly a retelling of the Disney movie. 🧼

Overall a quick cute read, if a bit frustratingly sweet. There’s a bit of suspense, and a bit of a road trip. But no tropes are really strong. It’s 2.75 for a romance, maybe 3.5 if it had been YA.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book!

This is the 4th book in the Meant to Be series (all books are written by different authors) and is a Tangled/Rapunzel retelling. It follows Ren, a girl who grew up on an off the grid compound and is off to college and out from under her controlling parents thumb for the first time as she learns who she is and what's important to her. Our other main character is Fitz who is rich and popular with the ladies. When the end up on a road trip together, Fitz is annoyed at this sunshine girl who is upending all his plans. But as they spend more and more time together, they both begin to open up and share things they never thought they would share with another.

I'll be honest - I struggled with the first 15 or 20% of this. It wasn't bad but I was having a difficult time connecting to the characters and didn't know where the story was going. But a couple of friends had really enjoyed it and convinced me to keep going and I really did end up enjoying this. It was pretty funny at times but also had some much more serious topics than I anticipated that I think were handled really well. And I definitely didn't see the ending coming!!

Thank you to Hyperion for the eARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Christina Lauren is always a yes for her. Her books are cute, witty, romantic and sweet. Usually they are very quick reads. This might be my least favorite in the stand alone series. It moved very slow for me and I had a hard time being interested. I hadn’t seen the Disney movie of this one.

This is my least favorite in Disney's Meant to Be standalone series thus far. I'm unsure what exactly didn't hit for me - Ren's naivete? Not having seen Tangled before (since it doesn't seem to share much, either, with the original Rapunzel story)? Christina Lauren overall has been pretty hit-or-miss for me in the past, so it could just be a one-off but this was just okay for me.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Tangled Up In You by Christina Lauren is part of the Meant To Be Series and it’s the story of Ren and Fitz.
 
I adore Tangled and a retelling by Christina Lauren seemed perfect for it and I was so excited for this book. However, I turned out different than I expected and it severely disappointed me. It seemed like they wanted to write a cute new adult romance but had to somehow force the Tangled retelling in there. And that didn’t work for me.
 
Ren grew up very isolated and in a conservative family much like Rapunzel. She was homeschooled her entire life and she doesn’t have a grasp of the real world at all. It was like she was taken out of Rapunzel’s tower and put straight into a contemporary college and that gap was way too big. Ren has never used a phone and is socially awkward and that was way too unrealistic and made her come across as more than naive. I couldn’t connect to her at all, and her character was too abstract.
 
Fitz however had a lot of parallels with my fav Flynn Rider, and he is trying to overcome his criminal past through education. He is working hard to get his college degree and is enjoying his life simultaneously. He was charming and funny and honestly my favorite part of this book.
 
Ren and Fitz meet in one of their classes and they must work on an assignment together. That was very sweet, and Fitz is trying to show Ren the real world and they also go on a road trip together. However, their romance was too fordable mainly because Ren can’t catch a hint.
 
Overall, I expected so much more from this retelling and Tangled Up In You had a lot of potential that wasn’t used. 2 stars.
 
(ARC kindly provided in exchange for a review.)

I have read all of the Meant to Be series books to date, and let me just say, the girl who great up on these movies has been loving the literary interpretations. So when my favorite author duo was taking on the Tangled storyline, I couldn't wait to dive in. 

Typically, I try not to even read the synopsis to avoid spoilers, so reading a book with such a well-known plot was an interesting experience. But I enjoyed seeing where Christina Lauren would take these two! 

Ren is a college student out in the world for the first time. Fitz is a seemingly rich kid with a past. Together, they go on an adventure--complete with the tavern scene you know and love, just without the musical number (although I couldn't help singing it in my head). 

This does not have the typical CL spice, which actually totally makes sense given the circumstances. But in Tangled Up in You, they did deliver characters you'll adore, scenes you'll swoon over, and a storyline you'll fall in love with all over again. 

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A modern and cute take on Tangled.

While it took me some time to enjoy Ren’s naivety, I appreciated that she was written in a way that made sense based on her background. I also really enjoyed Fitz and watching his character develop and change as he watched Ren experience basic, everyday things for the first time.

If you love a sweet Disney princess type of movie, I think this book will be perfect for you.

When I started reading this I really wasn't sure about the story or the characters, however, I decided to power through and give it a chance and I'm glad I did!

The characters ended up being so well done. Rem & Fitz were so different but so much fun to read about their adventure. The story was absurd in the best way. The ending was insane but also so heartfelt.

Huge thanks to NetGalley & Hyperion Avenue for an advance copy of 𝘛𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘜𝘱 𝘪𝘯 𝘠𝘰𝘶

Much like Disney's Rapunzel movie, this book was an absolute joy. I really enjoyed the modern retelling of the movie - Ren and Fitz were both adorable. I loved joining them on their spring break roadtrip and their relationship's progression. I also appreciated the level of spice - I think since this was based on a children's movie, despite this being an adult romance, any spicier would have been weird to me.
Overall, very fun story that did the movie justice in a modern, more grown up way.

Tangled rewritten with the big man on campus and the homesteading coed. Ren has been sheltered living on a homestead, she loves it but has educated herself, so far. While she attends college for her first semester she works on a project that raises questions. Fitz is the hot guy that is going to help her find the answers although not willingly at first. It’s been years since I’ve seen the movie Tangled but this pairs up with all the key elements and storyline with modern twists. The characters are a bit of an acquired taste at first but eventually enjoyed reading it. It’s actually a good book for the young adult reader also, pretty light on bedroom shenanigans. I received an early copy and wrote my review voluntarily.

This may be a biased review, but I am a big Christina Lauren fan. I find her books to be fun, lighthearted and cute. Even when the topics are serious, difficult and sad, she writes in a way that does not make it too dark and heavy. I love that her characters grow, learn and develop. I enjoy the slow burn romance and the fact that I spend part of the book yelling at the characters. Ren and Fitz are complete opposites who find themselves on a life changing road trip, after a discovery during a college class. They are sunshine and grumpy, yet the chemistry between them is fire. A sweet, quick read that is impossible to put down.

Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

I really wanted to love this one because I’m such a fan of Christina Lauren but this wasn’t for me. I’ve never been a fan of retellings and I wish I hadn’t known this was a retelling going in to it because I may have liked it more without having the movie Tangled in the back of my mind. Overall it was a fun romcom and I’ll still recommend it.

This is not just a sweet romance, but is, in fact, a wonderful story of a girl, Ren, who has never experienced the modern world. She finally convinces her parents to let her leave the isolated family farm to go to college. There, she meets a handsome boy who takes her along on a wild adventure where they uncover secrets on both sides. I loved this story, a modern version of the movie, Tangled.

"Tangled Up in You " is essentially Disney's Tangled moved into the 21st century. Ren has been raised completely off grid, as in she has never even held a cell phone, but manages to convince her very intense and very over-protective parents to allow her to go to college at age 22. On campus, she meets supposed rich boy Fitz, who prides himself on being the only person who doesn't fall for Ren's oh so good and wholesome ways. But of course, that supposed indifference could never last, especially as they unexpectedly end up on an extended road trip together.

The main book plot points parallel those of the film, meaning that nothing is super unexpected. The reasons behind Ren's isolation are obvious from the start but the ending does go a tiny bit darker than I would have thought. Overall, this is a very sweet, very Disney, book, perfect for YA readers or even the more adult Disney lovers.

3 stars. Thank you to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of this book. These opinions are my own.

Tangled Up In You by Christina Lauren
Rating: 4.5 stars
Pub date: 6/25

Thank you so much to Hyperion for my advanced copy.

Ren, a 22-year-old who has spent her entire life off the grid on an Idaho homestead, finally steps into the mainstream by attending Corona College. Her journey into the real world takes an unexpected turn when a simple immunology assignment changes her life. She needs to take a trip, and using a little blackmail, she convinces her classmate, Fitz, to take her. As they embark on a road trip, their lives intertwine in surprising and meaningful ways.

Tangled is the Disney movie this story is based on, and is a BIG favorite in my house. When my daughter was little, we watched it multiple times a day. I wasn’t sure what to expect going into this, but I’m so glad I gave it a chance because I loved it! Christina Lauren crafted a sweet and funny romance that captured the essence of the original and I loved all the Easter eggs and nods to the Disney movie.

Fitz, with his smoldering looks and dangerous background, is the perfect Flynn Rider. Ren’s wide-eyed innocence, long golden hair, and sharp wit make her an enchanting Rapunzel. Their chemistry is palpable, and their romance is tasteful and fades to black, keeping the story focused on their emotional connection and growth.

This book is such a fun, entertaining read, with a few heavy topics and some suspense thrown in. It’s a charming, feel-good story that’s full of humor and heart and I can’t wait to see what this writing duo comes up with next!

Read if you like:
*road trips
*Fairy tale reimaginings
*opposites attract
*YA feels
*closed-door romance