The is a retelling of Rapuzel. It took me about 30% to get into the book and then I found it just okay. I found Ren's situation so unbelievable that is was too much of a stretch for me to enjoy. I'm not sure what it's categorized as but is very much a YA book. I would recommend it to my friends who enjoy that genre.

Absolutely adored this book! Christina Lauren can do no wrong with writing a rom com. This is a classic retelling with the best grump X sunshine trope and I ate it up! The female main character was so lovable in every way and I enjoyed reading that story. The ending was cut short for me and I just wish there was more… something was missing for me BUT other than that I really loved this whole story.

I absolutely loved this book. I loved all of the similarities to Tabgled, but how it was present day. That made it predictable but I wouldn’t have it any other way. I laughed out loud, got teary eyed, and loved to see Ren’s character development.

The newest Christina Lauren novel, Tangled up in you, was an adorable spin off of Disney’s Tangled. From the very awkward and clearly psychotic parent to the absolutely lovable heroine, to the oober protective ‘Fitz’, this spin off included so many cute moments where the couple grew together.

In this re-telling of Tangled, Ren has grown up on a homestead with her very protective and rule oriented parents, Gloria and Steve. She doesn’t have access to internet, no phones, spends most of her time helping around the homestead and doing chores like feeding the many animals her family has. However, Ren somehow convinces her parents to let her go to college during the week and come home on the weekends to do her chores and help around the homestead. At Corona college she meets Fitz- the typical hot senior who “wants to get into everyone’s pants” according to Ren’s new roommate. Ren immediately becomes well-loved by most students even though she started off as the “weird” girl. After a project on DNA in one of her classes leads to some interesting results, she’s off on a cross country road trip with Fitz who has some secrets of his own…

I guess because it’s a retelling of Tangled, I kind of knew how it was going to end? It was very similar to the movie and while there was some originality to it, most of it I knew was coming. It was still cute and I would recommend it to Disney fans for sure!

Thank you, NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review. Published June 25, 2024

Contemporary, creative retelling of Disney’s Rapunzel movie, Tangled.

In Tangled Up in You, the writing duo Christina Lauren spins a backstory of how Rapunzel (Ren) ended up isolated from society for years until the fateful meeting with Flynn (Fitz). I love Ren’s wide-eyed innocence and inherent goodness and how bad boy Fitz, despite his desperate need to protect himself and trust no one, can’t help but want to be a better man for her. The use of a road trip with forced proximity in a variety of hotel rooms is a great plot device, giving the couple plenty of time to get to know each other through endless days of driving with stops at famous tourist traps along the way. (The biker bar scene is especially endearing.) Yes, Ren is seeing a world she only knew from books after her sheltered childhood, but Fitz is also viewing everything through a new lens, and it is actually Ren who is rescuing him.

I haven’t read any of the other books in the Meant to Be series, but I’m so glad Disney placed this story in Christina Lauren’s very capable hands. They have shown their readers that, although fairy tales are just make-believe, it is possible to have a happily-ever-after following heartbreak. Every great story has its roots in reality, and I love the characters and story they created to bring Rapunzel characters to life. Highly recommended clean romance for both teens and adults who need reminding that happy endings can exist.

I received a complimentary ARC of this book from Hyperion Avenue through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are completely my own.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Tangled Up In You is not your typical romance novel but I loved it! When Ren met Fitz, she was fresh from the homestead. She’d never held a phone let alone had a social media account. One would have thought she’d grown up in a different time but, in reality, her parents were just trying to protect her from the dangers lurking within modern society. Little did she know that with just one test her life, as she’d always known it, would be brought into question. She also didn’t bargain for what she would discover on her road trip with Fitz. Fitz, on the other hand, finds Ren’s quirkiness quite intolerable, that is until he starts to find her truly adorable. His rich kid attitude really leaves Ren questioning his personality. It just doesn’t fit. What they will discover along the way will not only break them but also help them to understand who they truly are. I found the novel to be quite suspenseful at times and I had a hard time putting it down. It kept me guessing until almost the very end. Definitely not what I had envisioned at all but I was pleasantly surprised. I would definitely recommend to those who enjoy novels about discovering oneself, human nature, romance and suspense.

This was a fun and lighthearted Rapunzel/Tangled romance retelling. I liked that aspect of it; I liked the premise of a girl with no modern-day knowledge put into a college situation, and overall it was fun time. The writing mirrored the events of the movie but as a whole, it wasn't my favorite. There were a lot antics and dialogue that felt very weird. I didn't love how childish Ren seemed in Fritz's POV but unchildish in her own...it was weird. The pacing felt extremely fast in the in beginning, and then dragged on during the road trip. Overall, a cozy read but nothing life-changing.

I received a free advanced copy of Tangled Up in You from NetGalley in exchange for her fair and unbiased opinion. This book, out in June, is fourth in the Meant to Be Series. This one, as you can guess from the title, is a modern reimagining of Tangled.

If you like Rapunzel’s chaotic optimism, you’ll enjoy this. Ren grew up on a homestead with her overprotective parents. Now, 22, she finally goes to college, experiencing the world for the first time.

When a DNA test for a class shows that her father isn’t the man she grew up with, she blackmail’s Fitz into driving her across the country.

Fitz is one of the few people on campus who cannot stand this annoying ray of sunshine of a girl. But he has his own secrets to protect and a criminal record to wipe clean, so he agrees. Plus, once he discover’s Ren’s naive and sheltered innocence meant that she didn’t tell anyone she was traveling thousands of miles with a stranger and only $60, he’s concerned about Ren’s safety. And he also starts to find her enthusiasm appealing.

Give it a read if you enjoy roadtrips, grumpy and sunshine pairings, the only one bed trope, and forced proximity.

Overall, this was a fun story, although the ending felt a little abrupt. It read a little bit younger, likely due to how sheltered Ren was. But if you really enjoyed the Tangled movie, you’ll have fun discovering the similarities.

I am so excited that Christina Lauren has two books out in 2024. <i> Tangled Up in You</i> is a modernized version of Disney's <i>Rapunzel </i> and at first I was a little skeptical because I'd read other books in this series and didn't really love them. However, <i> Tangled Up in You</i> stands out among the series. The book has all the things I love about Christina Lauren books but there were definitely a few cute nods to the Disney version of the fairy tale. I think fans of Christina Lauren will really enjoy this one even if they don't necessarily see themselves as Disney people.

Thanks, NetGalley, for the ARC of the book.

Tangled Up In You felt like I was wrapped up in a Disney movie, with this modern day spin on the movie 'Tangled.'

Ren, just like Rapunzel, is sweet, book smart, innocent and charming. Fitz on the other hand is a little guarded, witty and mischievous. Together the pair embark on a road trip as an assignment for a class at Corona College. What follows is the tale of a happy go lucky 'princess', knocking down the walls of the sometimes moody 'knight' in a twist of adventure, trust and a slow building love.

Christina Lauren had the perfect blend of enchantment, romance and adventure. I thoroughly enjoyed her take on today's version of Rapunzel. Definitely recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the ARC.

3 stars!

I definitely ventured out of my preferred genre with this one. I haven't been picking up too many romance books lately, let alone Disney retellings! I wasn't much of a Disney fan growing up, for that reason, I know little to nothing about Rapunzel. I don't think that took too much away from my reading experience. It was a cute and fun book to break up my usual thriller reads.

I am a Christina Lauren fan, i've read Love and Other Words and i'll gladly pick up another of their books in the near future!

Thank you NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the ARC!

My favorite authors meet my favorite princess story! Christina Lauren does it again and will continue to be at the top of my must-read list. Will, of course, be purchasing a hard copy for my personal library.

As a huge Christina Lauren fan and one who has read the available "Meant to Be" books in the Disney universe connected series from other romance authors, I was really excited to get Tangled Up in You, but I have to be honest that I really struggled to connect with Ren as the modern Rapunzel character discovering her true identity and on the adventures she goes through on a college campus for the first time. I know the Rapunzel character having been sheltered for her whole life is supposed to be clueless but smart, flighty but creative, but Ren was so frustrating to me as a character for her ignorance and lack of questioning for much of the novel. I really did end up enjoying the book and the central romance, but the pacing felt a little strange at the beginning and took me a long while to get into when I usually race through a Christina Lauren romcom! Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and the author for this advance reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Super cute reimagined Disney story! I’m a huge fan of Christina Lauren and this is another big hit from her! Can’t wait to read the other books that are continued in this series. Thank You NetGalley and Hyperion avenue for the book approval!

3.5 stars
This is my first Meant to Be book from the series and I didn't know what to expect as it was a Disney (Tangled) retelling and I have yet to read something like this. There were a few times when it felt Disney-esque and a bit silly but I had to remind myself that that's the point - it's a Disney retelling after all!

Ren is twenty-three years old and has never held an iPhone, used a laptop, or gone to school. Going behind her parents' back, she applies to Corona College and takes the required testing to be admitted midway through the semester. Reluctant to let her go, they finally relent and help her pack up and move into her dorm. Except there are a few rules: 1. no boys, 2. no makeup, 3. no leaving the campus unless it is when she leaves on the weekends back to the farm, 4. no alcohol, etc. On her first day, she gets a tour of the college from Fitz, the notorious flirt who is also a fan favorite amongst the staff.

I think this book was a fun, light read for the content. It did have the Disney essence as Ren is based on Rapunzel from Tangled. She has glowing, flowing blond hair, green eyes, and innocence to the world and Fitz as Flynn Ryder who tries to use his charm in his favor.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, and Hyperion Avenue for my advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

Christina Lauren delivers a charming, updated fairy tale in this fourth installment of Disney's Meant to Be Romance series. Based on Tangled (Rapunzel), the story centers around Ren Gylden, the sheltered-but-brilliant golden girl who leaves her homestead to attend college at the age of 22, and Fitz, the irresistibly charming campus player driven by his quest for success. The two first meet on Ren's campus tour and become acquainted in the science seminar they are both enrolled in.

When the two embark on an unlikely coast-to-coast road trip together, Ren and Fitz's worlds are turned inside out when secrets about both of their backgrounds are revealed, leading each of them to re-examine their futures. Witty banter, charming romantic scenes, surprising twists, and a strong sense of place from Seattle to Atlanta add realism to this chaste yet passionate story about trust, self-discovery, and love.

I liked this one! Overall, the book was really fun and lighthearted and the twist at the end was pretty exciting. I liked the characters and the growth throughout the book. I would say some of the dialogue could have been stronger but I’d still recommend this, especially to the people who love contemporary romance! I also really appreciated that this was not smut.

Thank you NetGalley and the Publisher for an e-copy of Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren in exchange of an honest review.

"I thoroughly enjoyed 'Tangled Up in You' by Christina Lauren. The story follows Ren, who, after a sheltered upbringing on her parents' farm, takes a bold step and enrolls in college without their knowledge. The contrast between her awkwardness and her determination to be friendly to everyone, even the janitor, adds depth to her character. As Ren embarks on her college adventure, the authors skillfully depict her first experiences with technology and her surprising knack for fixing things. However, it's an assignment from one of her classes that truly sets the story in motion, leading Ren to break all the rules and embark on an exhilarating cross-country road trip with Fitz, a classmate she essentially blackmails into taking her with him. What ensues is a thrilling journey filled with unexpected twists and turns. While some chapters may feel slower in pace, the perfect blending of Disney magic with a modern twist makes this retelling of 'Tangled' a delightful read for Disney fans and newcomers alike."

Honestly I love pretty much everything by Christina Lauren, they are light and fun, have great banter, story lines to keep you interested and lots of chemistry. This one did not disappoint. The begining did have more story development then some of their others (actually in general the entire thing was pretty plot driven which I enjoyed). It had all the elements I have come to expect, particularly the first 2/3. The last part had me on the edge of my seat, I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep until I finished it.

This one is a little more PG then some of their other books, no explicit sex (actually not even implied sex) which was kind of nice for a change.