TANGLED UP IN YOU is the latest in the Meant To Be series which are Disney retellings. I had high hopes for this play on Tangled by the dynamic duo - Christina Lauren - but this one fell wayyyy flat for me and didn’t feel like their typical writing.

My thoughts:
-forced proximity/one bed
-road trip
-grumpy x sunshine
-not much banter
-weird/odd scenes that felt out of place

I get that the MC mimics Rapunzel so there is a naiveté to her, but this characteristic was over the top and obnoxious to me. It almost read more like a YA and unfortunately just wasn’t for me.

Tangled Up In You
(Meant to Be, #4)
Christina Lauren
Pub: 6/25/24
4.5☆

She has a dream. He has a plan. Together they’ll take a leap of faith.

This was so stinkin cute and so much fun to read! I haven’t seen the movie Tangled (moving up on watch list), so while I can’t say how it compared to the film, I can say it lived up to the hype for me. Not that I was shocked coming from my favorite author duo, Christina Lauren. They can do no wrong in my book, and theirs. 🥰

I love road trip romances and Tangled Up In You had me laughing, smiling, and swooning. We even get a bit of suspense added into the mix, which I loved. I adored Fitz and Ren. Her naivety and smarts had me cracking up, and I loved watching her sunshine personality break down his grumpy exterior as this heartwarming, slow-burn romance unfolds.

Read if you enjoy;
💫 Disney Reimagining’s
💫 Opposites Attract
💫 Forced Proximity
💫 Road Trips

Huge thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the opportunity to be an early reader in exchange for my honest review.

Ren has lived a VERY sheltered life on an off-the-grid farm in Idaho. She's 22 and she's never stepped foot in a school or used the internet or even eaten a burrito, though she has read a lot, and taught herself multiple languages and high-level STEM concepts. So when she heads to college, she's naïve but excited, despite the strict rules her parents have laid out. One of the first people she meets is Fitz, a charming and good-looking senior who seemingly has it all — a perfect academic record, a rich family, and a reputation as a fun-loving ladies' man. But Ren's academic prowess threatens Fitz's plans, and when a class project leads to a shocking discovery for Ren, the pair find themselves thrown together on a cross-country road trip.

OK, there's the summary. The easier way to describe this book, however, is as Tangled fanfic set in modern-day America. The whole story is there, down to our heroine's affinity for animals and specific plot points from the animated Disney movie. And if that's what you're looking for, that's great. I wasn't particularly looking for that (I went into it thinking it was more of a Rapunzel-based story than a retelling of a Disney movie), so I was a bit disappointed, as I wanted slightly more original and three-dimensional characters. But aside from some quibbles about the road trip (that first leg where they left at 6 a.m. was only a three-hour drive and included no sightseeing, yet they arrived at dinnertime?), the book was fine. Nothing to write home about, but also a quick easy read.

4.75 🌟’s

This book follows along with a very sheltered fmc who has grown up in a no technology off grid lifestyle. She convinces her family to let her attend a collage and then begins her journey toward a cross country road trip with an attractive boy from her new school

I am typically not a fan of the “born yesterday” or naive style of female characters and I was worried when I first started this book that maybe that was the direction it was headed however I absolutely loved Ren and this book was so charming and a perfect rendition of Tangled or Rapunzel !

I am so incredibly grateful that Netgally sent me this Arc, I can not wait for this book to release this summer and watch everyone else fall in love with these characters

Ren, a 23 year old freshman in college has never been exposed to the real world, she has never left her families homestead. So to say she is naïve is an understatement. She is brilliant and captivates her fellow college classmates with her intelligence and wit. Everyone that is except Fitz.
An unplanned road trip the week before spring break with Fitz makes for a fun and exciting adventure for both. Fitz has a whole range of emotions from annoyance to friendship to budding romance as they head off on their adventure.
The book is swoony and sweet. There is romance and intrigue that will make you laugh out loud and feel a bit sad as the adventure unfolds. Told with all the flair and romance of a typical Christina Lauren book this is a must read for anyone looking for that Disney magic. It is quick and engaging retelling of Tangled.
I highly recommend this one!
Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Adventure for my ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Christina Lauren knew that people would eat this strangled retelling up when they wrote this! Let me tell you when I say I FLEW through this one, I AM NOT JOKING!! I think everyone is going to love this one when it gets released.

Just as cute as the rest of the books in this series🩷

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐

𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
🎀 Tangled Retelling
🫶🏻 Forced Proximity
🚗 Road Trip
☀️ Grumpy/Sunshine

💫it took me a while to figure out what I wanted to rate this because it reads very YA. Once I started to think of this of a YA romance and not an adult romance, I landed on four stars💫

If you’re looking for a Disney movie in book form, this is the one you must pick up! This is a cute and bingeable retelling of Tangled that has zero spice but lots of charm.

Ren has all the charisma and lovability like Kimmy Schmidt and Fitz has that mysterious vibe. He has a reputation but is it really the truth??

While Ren and Fitz embark on their road trip, there are multiple fun scenarios that they get themselves into which kept me super interested, laughing out loud and wanting to finish reading in one sitting.

Even though I love my books spicy, this sweet and swoony retelling (with only kissing!) made my day brighter and left me with smiling.

This was cute and predictable in the best way. It was my first experience with a Disney retelling and I loved how the authors adapted the story to a modern world.

Thanks to Hyperion Avenue & NetGalley for the ARC.

This book followed the similar path of the movie and had easter eggs, which are alway enjoyable to find. Some of them were clever. Loved the dual POV.

It was fascinating to see Ren take every moment and all her excitement while she experienced things for the first time.

Fitz had the charm just like Flynn Rider. It was interesting seeing him a college setting. But it worked for him.

If you loved Tangled, just note there should be some content warnings because since story is based in a modern day setting. Some of the story made it seem like true crime.

ARC gifted by NetGalley.

This was such a fun modern twist on Tangled. REN was such a fun character, her energy was infectious. While Edward started as a little cold but eventually warmed up! This book will make you want to rewatch Tangled!

While i did enjoy this book it took until the 35-40% mark to really get into the story. More sweet than spicy but still a fun Christina Lauren book. I really enjoy their books so it’s exciting to read something different from them!

I think if you love Tangled you will adore this book. If you’ve never seen (or care to see) the movie this might not be your favorite Chrstina Laurens romance, but it is very cute and fun. A quick read that I guarantee will be a huge hit with the right crowd. It's a novel that focuses on friendship, on the blossoming of love. From mild interest, to annoyance, to resignation, to friends and then evil. far far in the future to lovers

3.5 stars ⭐️ It took me a while to connect to the characters in this retelling of Disney’s Tangled and I found myself a little bored with the story. Since I am a huge fan of Christina Lauren, I kept with it and I’m so glad I did. Wowza - the last 20% or so- I could not put it down.

This is another fantastic book by Cristina Lauren! So, so good! It felt very much like a Hallmark version of the movie Tangled and I am not complaining about that! Ren is an interesting character from the beginning. I enjoyed getting to her from the start because he upbringing is so unusual, sheltered but somehow the simplicity feels right for her. Her arrival to college was laugh out loud funny and, maybe predictable but still exciting, she quickly meets Fitz and, thanks to an immunology seminar, they go on road trip that is the beginning of what becomes a fairy tale love story. I loved the chemistry between the two characters and found myself rooting for them (especially Ren!) from the beginning. I don't know how this writing duo continues to come up with great book after great book, but they do! And I always look forward to reading them!

Honestly, Christina Lauren have done it again. They’re already a favorite of mine, but when I saw they had written this Meant to Be novel, I was skeptical (given its source material and how spicy their original work tends to be). They balance the perfect amount of tension between the characters without writing M-rated fanfiction of children’s characters, and I think the believability is honestly great. All the changes and modernizations made were exactly what wanted from a Tangled AU! Excellent work turning something timelessly Disney into something else completely original, inventive, and a joy to read!

This is such a cute retelling of Rupunzel. I loved it.
When Wren finally gets to leave her hometown and attend college and see what she has been missing her whole life, she realizes there were secrets kept from her by her parents. This book is really good. The plot twist blew my mind. Christina Lauren made this story even better. It’s perfect.

This was a great retelling of Tangled! I loved how earnest and thoughtful Ren was. I liked how, even though he didn’t want to admit it, how caring, kind, and protective Fitz/Edward was. The two of them were so good together, and I loved their relationship progression—it felt like a real, raw partnership and like these two people actually knew each other. I liked how Fitz was in a constant battle with himself and what he was feeling for Ren. And I liked Ren's strength; she wasn’t just a naive character. I wanted a bit more of Fitz’s story. I understand why he couldn't reveal it all to her, but at the end, when it ass revealed, I wanted a bit more.Overall, it's a super cute story!

Book Ratings:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️

Book Review (no spoilers):
This was such a sweet, funny, entertaining, and enjoyable romance! I loved that it was a Disney’s Tangled retelling. That is one of my favorite movies, so I was so excited to read this.

Honestly it was so refreshing to read a book with true slow burn romance and no real spice. This was all about learning to fall in love and allowing yourself to do it. It was precious how they were both there for each other throughout all of their struggles.

The whole story wasn’t super surprising since I went in knowing it was a Tangled retelling but if you haven’t seen the movie, there is definitely a surprise ending! Either way, stuff went down at the end that I wasn’t expecting.

I really enjoyed watching her go to college, learn about the modern world, go on the roadtrip, and learn to love everything the world had to offer.

A true coming of age tale combined with learning who you are learning what love means and what you will do for those you love.

Would absolutely recommend this! Thank you for the ARC. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

This book was literally everything that I wanted from this book. It is like Tangled, but set in the modern world with no magic. It is a feel-good, fun, romantic, and quirky read. It was very cute.

A special thank you to Christina Lauren, Hyperion Avenue, and Netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I always enjoy Christina Lauren books. Tangled was quirky and funny. I enjoyed this book but not as much as some of their other titles. I will always continue to read Christina Lauren though.

This romance is very silly and charming, exactly what I expected. Rapunzel/Tangled is a fairy tale that is dear to my heart. I'm glad it was in the capable hands of Christina Lauren.