Tangled Up in You is the fourth in a series that takes Disney movies and reimagines them as adult romances. You may not know this, but Tangled is my absolute favorite Disney movie, so I was a little nervous that one of my favorite author teams, Christina Lauren was taking it on (I was disappointed with the take another author had with Beauty and the Beast). I'll just say- I had no reason to worry! Ren has lived a very sheltered life on a homestead in Idaho with her parents. At the age of 22, she convinces them to let her attend college. Fitz has lived the opposite kind of life and has a plan to right the wrongs of his life. Both of their lives are changed by a simple assignment which sends them on a cross country road trip. I absolutely loved every minute of this story. I loved the deft way that they wove references to the Disney movie into the story without making it obvious- this is a story that can be enjoyed without knowing the original story. Definitely my favorite in the Meant to Be series!

4.5⭐️

Ren has lived on a homestead with her parents for her whole life. Now at the age of 23, has finally been given a little freedom and is off to college. Here, she meets Fitz, and convinces him to take her on his cross country spring break trip, where she learns more about her family and life outside of the homestead.

Tangled is one of my favorite Disney movies, and I loved how this story mirrored the classic! Ren and Fitz were fun, flirty and cute together, and it made for fun chemistry building. I was definitely picturing the characters from the movie, and I love how closely the book followed the original plot line, but reimagined. If you are looking for a sweet rom com following college kids navigating individual struggles, pick this up!

I’ve never read a reimagined Disney princess book before so this was a fun experience. Tangled Up in You by—our favorite duo—Christina Lauren is a retelling of Tangled/Rapunzel. We follow Ren Glydon who has grown up very sheltered on a farm in Idaho. She has recently convinced her parents to let her attend college and leave the homestead for the first time. She isn’t on campus very long before she uncovers a secret that could change everything. Enter Fitz. A cocky, charming, shouldering guy at college with a messy past. The two set off on an unlikely road trip with interesting turns.

The Tangled parallels are spot on, from character descriptions to events and names. I really loved the modern day spin on it while it still kept its fairy tale feel. I definitely enjoyed reading Tangled Up in You—I mean a character just like Flynn Rider, sign me up. Definitely give this book a shot!

I will say, I was thrown off by Fitz saying “whomp whomp” and did not enjoy that.

What a treat! I’m always a fan of Christina Lauren, and this gem did not disappoint! I was super hopeful given the Tangled vibes and I totally felt them throughout the whole story! I loved Ren and her storyline. She was somewhat relatable but quirky and fun. Loved her journey with Fitz and the book as a whole!

I had high hopes for this one but sadly, it took me a long time to get into the story.

I wasn't the biggest fan of the 3rd person dual POV and I felt like the beginning was really slow.

I did enjoy the second half of the book, where everything moves a lot quicker!

Overall, it was a quick and cute read, but definitely not my favorite of Christina Lauren's work!

This was a very cute contemporary retelling of Tangled. Ren is an extremely sheltered 22 year old who grew up on a homestead, mostly isolated from the outside world. She finally steps outside her confines to attend college, where she meets Fitz, a charming classmate who she bribes into taking her on roadtrip.

Ren was extremely sunshiney and positive, it was fun seeing the modern world through her eyes though her naivete did wear on me a bit. Fitz was broody and had a rough life and I loved how his grumpy walls came down for her.

They were very cute together, though it did feel awfully instalove. It’s based on a disney movie so I suppose that’s to be expected. Though they’re in college there was definitely a YA feel to this story, it was very sweet and innocent between them.

I’m not a huge YA fan (I didn’t realize this was YA before reading it) so I can’t say I loved this but I definitely think there’s an audience for it. If you like very adorable and innocent romances based on a retelling of a fairy tale, perhaps you will love this!

Another great entry in the Meant To Be series that takes Disney movies and turns them into New Adult romances! Tangled Up in You, as one might guess by the name, reimagines the movie Tangled. Ren has lived an extremely sheltered life on the family homestead in Idaho, with very limited access to technology of any kind. She has a used a computer before, but strictly for homeschooling assignments. At the age of 22, after teaching herself everything she can, she convinces her parents to let her attend college. After the surprisingly results of a test, she begins to question everything she has been told and embarks on a cross-country with popular student Fitz. This journey leads to shocking revelations, all of which line up nicely with Tangled. Highly recommended even if you don't love the movie, though the more you've watched it, the more you will appreciate all the ways it shows up in the book. You don't have to read this series in order.

Ren Gylden has never been permitted to leave her family homestead until she finally convinces her parents to allow her to go to college at age twenty-two. Ren’s probably the oldest freshman at Corona College in Spokane, Washington and she’s definitely the only one who’s never seen an iPhone before. When dashing, charming Fitz agrees to take Ren with him on a cross country road trip to Nashville after a class DNA assignment has her searching for answers, Ren has no idea how much her life will change in a week.

Tangled Up In You is part of the Meant to Be series of books from Disney/Hyperion that imagines classic Disney stories as modern day romances. This retelling of Rapunzel is one of my favorite adaptations I’ve ever read! It perfectly transforms the story we know and love from the movie into a contemporary romance.

Ren is the perfect modern day Rapunzel. She’s sweet and funny and naive, but also completely capable, competent and brave. She’d still pick a frying pan as her weapon of choice, but she can also fix a classic Mustangs engine. Fitz was never going to do anything other than fall for her, despite his best attempts not to.

I loved this one so much! Pick it up if you enjoyed Tangled or just enjoy fairy tale retellings in general!

Oh Christina Lauren you have my heart & soul in such a chokehold! I have loved this series so much & this one was absolutely divine.
This book is dunked in the typical charm & hilarity that CLO books always have.

- charming protagonist
- grump/sunshine!
- ROAD TRIP!!!!!!
- slow-burning & heartwarming
- great paced narrative

This read will leave you yearning for an adventure!

Thank you to the author, publisher, & to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you Hyperion for the review copy of Tangled Up in You from Christina Lauren. This is a fun sweet romance, a nice addition to the Disney romance reimagined series as I think of it (though these are all stand alone reads); I admit I actually have never seen Tangled, though I am generally familiar with the story so I am not comparing the book to the movie. This is a nice sunshine/naive vs grumpy romance and I enjoyed the college setting and themes on being homeschooled and fairly cut off from the modern world themes (FMC Ren) and also more for me the examination of a college student (MMC Fitz) struggling with finances and paying for college, pursuing his true dreams.

I will suspend some reality about Ren being as unfamiliar with the modern world as she was and also that prepared for college just by reading lots of books (I am a college teaching prof so I have my thoughts) and focus on the sweetness of Ren's genuine love for learning, her appreciation for all the richness of college (and her care for the staff who do the behind the scenes care for college, custodial staff etc... that really matters a lot) and her ability to connect with others, to see past artifice and to also be unafraid to be herself. She was great. But for me it was Fitz, his story about being the popular student and yet how no one knew how hard he was working to pay for college, that he wanted something more than was his career path was going to be, and that he had depth beyond being seen as a popular "player" who just wanted to charm others, I think this is all too often an experience of many young people, they aren't allowed/don't give themselves permission to dream and want and to be themselves and also college is so expensive, out of reach for many and it is important to be reminded of that.

I wanted a little more time to fully get into each character's backstory a little more and to see their romance unfold a little differently but I also recognize the plot was working within a specific story structure from the Disney movie so I will say instead I think this took a Princess movie structure and made it really work, giving nice development to the male character in a good way and giving us a female princess who really wanted to learn and enjoy what school and others had to offer her.

I was not expecting to love this as much as I did! It reimagines Disney's Tangled as part of the Meant To Be collection. And it is so much fun!

Ren is heavily sheltered and was raised off the grid on a homestead where she has had little contact with the outside world. Self-taught and incredibly smart, at 22, she has achieved her dream of getting into college, but her parents have very strict rules for her to abide by, even away at school. Fitz is asked to show Ren around campus. His wealthy playboy demeanor hides the truth about his life. But, he will soon graduate and set his long-awaited plan in motion. The two form an unlikely but adorable pair. An assignment in their immunology seminar sends them on an unexpected cross-country road trip full of surprises.

This is a unique blend of classic Tangled elements and a modern-day US setting with so many great tropes in this one! Enemies to friends to lovers, opposites attract, forced proximity, he falls first, and more.

Ren is sweet, very naive, highly intelligent, resourceful, and entirely sincere. Fitz is a bad boy hiding a painful past who can dial up the smolder. They could not be more opposite or cuter together. If you're a fan of the movie, you know the basic tenets of the story, but this version is set in the modern-day US. Author duo Christina Lauren respects the source material but changes things up enough that the story feels fresh. Everything is a new experience for Ren, especially on the road trip, where we see her character grow and learn more about Fitz.

I am a fan of Christina Lauren, to begin with, but honestly, they did a fantastic job with this! It differs from their usual books but still features their trademarks, including witty banter, a strong FMC you can't help but root for, and plenty of romantic tension. However, this is a clean romance. Entertaining and totally escapist!

Thank you to Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for the free book!

Tangled Up In You by Christina Lauren is currently scheduled for release on June 25 2024. It is a modern reimagining of Disney’s Tangled and part of the Meant to Be collection. She has a dream. He has a plan. Together they’ll take a leap of faith.

Ren has never held an iPhone, googled the answer to a question, or followed a crush on social media. What she has done: Read a book or two, or three (okay, hundreds). Taught herself to paint. Built a working wind power system from scratch. But for all the books she’s read, Ren has never found one that’s taught a woman raised on a homestead and off the grid for most of her twenty-two years how to live in the real world. So when she finally achieves her lifelong dream of attending Corona College, it feels like her life is finally beginning. Fitz has the rest of his life mapped out: Graduate from Corona at the top of his class, get his criminal record wiped clean, and pass himself off as the rich, handsome player everyone thinks he is. He’s a few short months from checking off step one of his plans when Ren Gylden, with her cascading blonde hair and encyclopedic brain, crashes into his life, and for the first time Fitz’s plan is in jeopardy. But a simple assignment in their immunology seminar changes the course of both their lives, and suddenly they’re thrown out of the frying pan and into the fire on a road trip that will lead them in the most unexpected directions. Out on the open road, the world somehow shifts, and the unlikely pair realize that, maybe, the key to the dreams they've both been chasing have been sitting next to them the whole time.

Tangled Up In You is a fun and engaging take on Tangled. I liked the nods o the names and temperaments to the Tangled universe, and I thought the differences were well chosen and helped make the story in into modern society very well. I though the give and take between Ren and Fitz was very well done, and highly entertaining. The shared vulnerability and trying circumstances for the pair had me rooting for them both through the whole book. I thought the character development and building through the story was very well done- and even though I know the story well I was still surprised a could of times with the reveals. I enjoyed the read, and can appreciate the craft that went into it.

Well, this book was just adorable!!! I love the Disney movie, Tangled, and it was really fun to see the connections within this modern retelling. I loved experiencing life through Ren’s eyes and really liked seeing her relationship form with Fitz/Edward! It’s such an enjoyable read!!

Thank you Hyperion Avenue, Netgalley, and Christina Lauren for the ARC! I had a blast binging this sweet modern Rapunzel retelling. It followed the storyline well and gave big-time Tangled vibes. Ren was so endearingly naive but eternally optimistic, and Fitz was such a good Flynn Rider albeit a smidge darker and more tortured. Plunging a super sheltered girl into society where she knows nobody and nothing about technology or human interaction seems farfetched until you get to the main point of the plot/conflict. I really enjoyed this one and binged it in two days! 3.75 rounded up. I only held it back from a 4 star rating because I think Christina Lauren's other books pack more of a strong emotional punch whereas Tangled Up in You is more of a cozy nostalgic read.

I recognize it’s a high bar to rewrite a Disney story with a modern twist. Especially one of my favorites that I’ve seen more than I can count. While there were many of the same “lines” from the movie, and I squealed with delight, there were also many missed moments. Mother knows best. The lantern scene with the romance. The flowerworks she draws. Idk. I DID adore the sunshine (naïve) / grumpy duo and that Max was still a big character. Nailed the characters!! I just wanted swoony romance and this felt more physically focused than I expected, which only felt jarring in contrast to the Disney story, but didn’t take over the story. The most frustrating thing for me was that arguably the most iconic message from the Disney movie Flynn is telling Rapunzel her dreams are worth chasing over and over, and that subplot was somehow nonexistent. His dreams made the cut, but hers seemed to be just about her family. I kept waiting to see how they’d tie that in. Bummer.

I received an advance review copy for free via Netgalley ( EEEEK THANK YOU) and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

NetGalley Review — my rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

“Tangled Up In You” is one of the So Meant to Be series by Christina Lauren. It’s a series based on Disney princesses and this one is, you guessed it, Rapunzel and Flynn Rider — but make it Ren and Fitz.

Ren is a 22 year old girl from middle of nowhere Idaho, raised free from any and all technology and home schooled. She’s finally convinced her parents (yah, she still lives at home) to let her go to college. There, she meets Fitz, campus charmer.

Obvs, this takes a big leap from the original storyline. While I was going to give it a 3/5, I think it actually might deserve a 4/5. I was bored in the beginning and it definitely picked up. The last 25% was rushed af but it was my favorite part. Points for originality even if it was a stretch.

This bad boy is a closed door romance so (…run!) hahaha — but it was still alright for what it was. Give it a shot, I think.

Thank you to @hyperionavebooks for the ARC! This book will be published June 25! So soon!

#netgalley #arc #christinalauren #tangledupinyou #rapunzel #someanttobe

Ren has spent hr entire life on the farm with her parents. She enjoyed that life, but wants to get an education. She has never been to school, and while she taught herself a heck of a lot, she wants to experience real education. She knows she is the old one at the school at 23 years old. Meanwhile, Fitz is determined to be top of his class so he can have his record wiped and follow his dreams to become a lawyer. When a class assignment leaves both with their heads exploding, the two end up on a road trip together. It’s basically Fitz’s nightmare…

Going to start this review by telling on myself. I have never seen Tangled. I know the basic premise but I haven’t seen the entire movie. Having read the rest of this series and loved it, but having seen the movies, I was interested to see how I would feel about this one. I shouldn’t have given it a second thought-it was @christinalauren I should have known it would be fantastic! I adored Ren so freaking much. She was naive, but adorable, witty, quirky, and a damn genius to be honest. I loved her and Fitz’s adventure through the country to make it to Nashville and how much Fitz was bothered by everything Ren did. I giggled every time she annoyed him, knowing that he secretly loved it. If you have loved this series thus far, you will enjoy this one as well!

Thank you to @Hyperionavebooks for my gifted copy of this book!

4.5/5 stars
This is book 4 in the series but could be read as a standalone. For this series, it’s Christina Lauren’s turn and they came out with the most amazing Rapunzel retelling. This story follows a woman who is off to college but has been sheltered until she realizes there’s a secret her family is keeping. I really enjoyed this story and I have to say that this is my 2nd favorite of Christina Lauren’s books. The story was well written and the writing style instantly got my attention. I was never bored with the story and couldn’t stop reading until the end. I loved getting a new backstory for this retelling and having a road-trip themed story. I do have to say that this book is way too pop culture of now time and I wish there was a map for this roadtrip because I would be confused where they were half of the time.

Ren is the FMC of this story and I loved how carious, brave and smart she is. She’s such a fun character and I loved experiencing the world with her. Then we have Fitz who comes off as a jerk in the beginning but is a total sweetheart. I loved learning about his character and seeing his feelings develop. There are side characters in this book but they are briefly in here. The romance was cute and it was a forced proximity with grumpy x sunshine. The couple are just amazing and I loved seeing their relationship develop.

The ending was just wonderful and I loved the whole story coming together. The authors did such a wonderful job writing this book because I honestly can’t imagine a better Rapunzel retelling than this. I wish that they wrote the other retellings because I would love to see what else they come up with.

*this e-arc was sent to me by the publisher to give an honest review in return*

As the adult daughter of a certified Disney Adult who grew up watching Tangled obsessively, I was so stoked to see that the next book in the “Meant to Be” series was going to be a modern retelling of the very story I loved so much; AND that it was going to be from Christina Lauren?! I had high hopes. Overall, considering what this book is meant to be (ha!) I give Tangled Up in You a solid 4.25/5.
This is the story of Ren (slightly annoying in that ‘adorable’ way, very smart, but incredibly sheltered, naive sense of humor that made me cringe almost as much as it made me laugh) and Fitz (charming, handsome guy with “the type of nose you just can’t draw” and a troubled past) as they travel across the country together. After an interesting discovery from a college class assignment causes Ren to force Fitz to let her hitch a ride across the country, that is. I loved all of the nods to the movie as they embarked on their journey, I found myself genuinely laughing out loud for some of the scenes. I also loved the mystery of both of our main character’s pasts and how they paralleled Rapunzel and Flynn. The story did feel a little drawn out in the middle where they were trying to cover both the plot of Tangled and the plot of Tangled Up in You compared to the ending which felt kind of rushed; which is to be expected of Disney stories, I suppose. I do wish we got more of an epilogue; just a drop of closure. If you love(d) Tangled and like/don’t mind a YA romance feel, this one is for you.

I have loved Christina Lauren in the past! This one, unfortunately, did not work for me. I think it was reading this romance with a Disney-like character (Ren) didn't work. She felt like a child. I was cringing a lot.