I’ve loved reading this series and seeing the creativity of the authors to take beloved fairy tales and turn them into modern, unique stories of their own. Christina Lauren did a good job of framing the story in a well known plot and that definitely shown through. The thing that really was a let down for me was the execution of the story. There were looooong sections of just descriptions and/or showing and I was really missing more dialogue to keep me engaged.

Thank you to Hyperion and NetGalley for an ARC of this! I am a HUGE fan of Tangled and Christina Lauren but, I’ll admit, I was a bit nervous about how an adaptation would work. I LOVED Ren and Fitz’s story and always appreciate a good romance with a legitimate plot! 5 stars!

What an incredibly interesting and creative take on the story of Rapunzel. I absolutely loved CLO’s take on the traditional story, and the way they chose to interview key points of the traditional story in modern and unexpected ways. Going in, I kept wondering how it would all come together without feeling forced or “too familiar” and naturally CLO does not disappoint.

From major details like Ren’s kidnapping and living a sheltered life away from society, to small details like Fitz driving a “mustang” named Max or Ren choosing a cast iron skillet as one of her dessert island items, CLO expertly wove elements of the original Rapunzel story seamlessly into a new and entertaining story about a 22 year old college student going on a journey to discover the world and herself and finding even more than that along the way.

I am obsessed with the Meant To Be series and Christina Lauren so this is just a match made in heaven. I will say I don’t know the story of rapunzel as well as the other princesses so I didn’t get the connections and references like I did in the other books. But that doesn’t take away from the enjoyment of the book! It has the typical banter and humour of a CLo book and bonus points for this one being clean. It started to drag a bit in the middle but that ending was twisty and fantastic! However it did wrap up a little too quickly. Still highly recommend

Tangled is one of my favorite Disney movies and Christina Lauren is an auto-buy author for me, so I thought for sure this would be a five-star read and was giddy when I saw it on the "Start Reading" page. I almost stopped after chapter 1 (it feeling quite immature which we'd kind of expect, I suppose), but Christina Lauren… so I carried on, making it all the way to 20% last night. Now I’m sitting here, not feeling the drive to continue.

The way the plot is set up makes sense in terms of, it’s logical and follows Tangled. But there’s something missing. The charm and the naivety and the wonder of the world, I think, that brings Rapunzel/Tangled to life. It reads more like “we put an Amish person in society” than “we escaped the confines of our limited world to explore and break free” … well, anyway. Not for me. It’s labeled “Adult” but it errs on the side of young adult, for sure. At least based on the first 20%, I would happily give it to high schoolers. I don’t know exactly who the target audience is for this, but I am definitely surprised I just wasn’t having a great time with it. The combination seemed like a slam dunk.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion for the ARC.

Going to be honest, I’ve never seen Tangled, so wasn’t sure what to expect for this. After spending almost her entire life off the grid, Ren was excited to leave her families homestead for college.

The second half of this book was not only romance, but a road trip adventure with some drama thrown in. I really liked the love interest, Fitz, in this story. He helped Ren navigate new experiences with understanding and patience.

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review. Watch for Tangled Up in You to come out June 25, 2024.

As much as I love Christina Lauren, I wasn't wowed by this. I don’t think I was the correct audience (but that is my own fault!). I did not realize this book was a part of a series of Disney retellings and I am not a Disney girl. I can 100% see those who LOVE Disney absolutely eating this book up but I have never been invested in that world. Admittedly Tangled is my favorite Disney Princess movie, but I feel like reading this has disconnected me from my love of it. The naivety is charming in a children’s film, but incredibly frustrating in an adult novel. Although I must say Fitz did live up to my love of Flynn Ryder- especially more towards the end. I had a hard time getting into this book until around the 50% mark which made it hard to power through. I was hooked for a bit there in the middle, but I also feel it ended quite abruptly- or rather did not give enough in the epilogue paragraph. I wanted MORE to their happily ever after- it’s Disney based after all!

Thank you to Hyperion Avenue, NetGalley, Christina AND Lauren for allowing me to read this early!

I want to start off by saying I was so excited to receive the latest book from Christina Lauren! I’m a huge fan, but I promise that won’t sway my review.

I was intrigued by the synopsis for this one. I’ll admit that I haven’t read any of the others in this series (they are by different authors), but once I knew this was about one of my favorite Disney films Tangled, I knew I had to read this one.

The first 5 chapters were pretty dull and boring, I must admit. However, after that everything picks up. It’s hard not to like Ren and her innocence. Having been raised by such mean and demanding “parents” I was surprised she was so kind and accepting.

Fitz took a little bit to grow on me, but grow he did. I soon found myself swooning along with Ren. He quickly became a protective male without the whole alpha male personality. He just says in his internal monologue that he feels the need to be her protector during their road trip because she is too innocent for this world.

This book is pretty close to the movie, in terms of going on an adventure, choosing a cast iron skillet for an apocalypse weapon, and even a crazy bar scene. I loved every bit of this retelling. Can we get another?!

It should be known that this is a sweet, closed door romance. Kissing doesn’t even happen until the 60% mark, but the cuteness between these two makes it worth it.

Side note: I wish Ren went back for Pascal at the end. That was the only part that left me unsatisfied.

*An ARC was provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

A modern day Rapunzel - they accomplished it beautifully! Gah I want a finish copy of this book sooooo bad! I am already a Rapunzel fan biase but for real this was so good. Anything they write is gold but this had a touch of goodness that I gobbled it in minutes.

Ren is so innocent, passionate about life and voided of societal beat down. Home schooled and isolated, she is a genius.
When she convinces her parents to allow her to go to college, she is beyond thrilled.

CL captures the rapture of Ren’s happiness so warm that you can’t help but want to hug Ren. When a DNA test during immunology makes her question her life, a road-trip is started. Friendly black mail, biker bar, festivals, and a night out skinny dipping - what starts as a way to meet a stranger turns into an experience of a life time.

Force proximity gives such a natural attraction between Fitz and Ren. And interesting structure of this story was how Fitz POV chapters switched to his first name towards the end of the book. I think it is an important significant on his identity

The ending was climatic but the aftermath was a sweet lullaby of promises and adventure.

Knowing CL and their popularity, I NEED MORE!! Crossing my fingers that they’ll be an exclusive ed with extra bonus scenes because I need more!!

Romance I would say is pretty tame. The sweet gestures and kisses melted my heart. One spicy chili 🌶️

I never seen Tangled, so I cannot comment on any comparisons to the movie, but this book lived up to all the expectations I have for this writing duo!

Synopsis: Ren grew up sheltered, living on a self-sufficient homestead with no technology, friends, or experience in the modern world. At age 22, she finally convinces her parents to let her go to college as long as she follows their strict set of rules. However, when she gets a DNA sample back from her biology class and questions everything she once knew, she has no choice but to follow the clues. She asks Fitz, the boy she met on her initial tour, to let her ride with him across country for break, and despite his hesitation, he agrees.

When I first met Ren I quickly compared her to Kimmy Schmidt. While naive and inexperienced, she was loved by all and believed in the best of everyone. The quirky humor had me laughing out loud, and the road trip adventures, from the hotel stays (one bed), the car ride talks and all the exploring, made this story so much fun! There was a bit of suspense with both characters weaved throughout the story, which was unique for their writing but it 100% worked and led to such a special HEA.

What to expect:
-An amazing cross country road trip
-Forced proximity
-Grumpy/sunshine pairing
-A clean read with kissing only
-Laugh out loud humor
-All the chemistry
-A bit of suspense

pub: 6/25

Thanks NetGalley, Hyperion and Christina Lauren for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I should preface this by stating I have never seen Tangled, so my review is purely based on this story without comparisons. I enjoy Christina Lauren books and was excited to see a new one coming out. If I had read this book without knowing who wrote it, I wouldn’t have guessed them. It’s a departure from the romcom/romance they’ve had lately. This is definitely more romance suspense, and it’s fantastic! You have some common tropes: forced proximity (hello roadtrip/one bed) and grumpy/sunshine mixed with heavy subjects (won’t spoil but will say pertaining to upbringings). There is amazing chemistry between Ren and Fitz. This reads more older YA to me (no sex scenes). I’m usually stingy with my 5 stars, but this earned it!

I received this book as an ARC from Netgalley and it was a delightful read. I was endeared to the characters and enjoyed the way that the story played out and even kept me guessing a bit despite being familiar with the Fairytale. Well done Ladies!

A Tangled re-telling in the modern world? Say no more. I love everything Christina Lauren write, and this was no exception!

Ren and Fitz were just adorable. I loved how it followed the movie, but with a creative twist. So it was less predictable, and more “I wonder how they’re going to make that part work in a non fairy tale setting?”

The romance was so sweet and cute, and felt very organic. There are a lot of good tropes too. There’s rivals to lovers, forced proximity, road trip, and only one bed while being a completely clean read.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review. I highly recommend it!

Tangled Up in You
4.5/5 Stars

Another fun romp from Christina Lauren, this time with a Disney flair! Did I hear Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi as the main characters? Maybe. Did it hinder anything? Absolutely NOT! I devoured this book in two sittings and probably could have read cover to cover if I didn’t need a silly thing like sleep. Will definitely be sharing this with my bookish friends. For those curious— it’s clean! No spice rating necessary. I loved all the tropes hit as well as bringing Tangled into a modern setting. The characters felt very much inspired by their film counterparts but were their own people and not a straight take. For any lover of Disney and rom-coms, this is for you!

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

(I'll post a review on amazon and on instagram closer to release!)

Love Christina Lauren and this Tangled retelling is perfect. Morally grey hero, guileless blonde, and even a mention of frying pans as the best weapons. The connection between the characters was perfect in this sweet romance.

Thanks Net Galley and Hyperion Avenue for the temporary ARC to review.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC. Read this in a few hours and it is certainly a quick read. I’ve read all the books in this series and I’m sorry to say this is my least favorite because I love these authors. The story is meh and if no one told me this was a retelling of Tangled I would have no idea. Maybe I just don’t know Tangled well enough to enjoy this one. 2.5 stars rounded up.

ARC Review
Tangled Up In You
Christina Lauren
Publication Date: 06/25/2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

A reimagining of Disney’s Tangled, Christina Lauren weaves a delightful modern fairytale focused on the unlikely pairing of Ren— a sheltered, homestead raised college student and Fitz- a charming, playboy student athlete. As part of immunology class assignment, Ren submits her DNA for sequencing, realizing she may receive results that will shake the foundation that has been her twenty two years on earth. Despite her gentle and naive nature, Ren convinces Fitz to bring her on a cross country road trip over their college’s spring break in an attempts to solve her DNA mystery. While annoyed at first, Fitz finds himself enjoying Ren’s company on a wild trip through the USA stopping at every touristy attraction along the way. Fitz has a troubled past, with a solid guard around his heart that no one can cross but, Ren. You can’t help, but root loudly for these two as they discover themselves and their love for each other through witty banter and new experiences. I devoured this book in two sittings and did not want it to end! While this is book four in the Meant To Be series published by Hyperion Avenue, it can be read as a standalone novel as each book portrays an individual fairytale, written by a different author. Not surprisingly, I’ve already added all the others to my TBR. I am so excited for this book to be out in the world next year, I really think all of the fairytale loving, Disney, and romance fans will adore it as I have.

Thank you @netgalley , @hyperionavebooks, and @christinalauren for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review of this special book.

I am convinced this book was written just for me 🥺

Tangled is my absolute favorite Disney movie, so this modern retelling immediately intrigued me and I sure wasn’t disappointed!!

Ren is a 22 year old soon to be college student. She had never left her homestead, had lots of chores to do, and absolutely longed to see what else the world had to offer. Her parents begrudgingly allowed her to go off to college but not without a laundry list of strict rules she has to follow. She had never stepped foot in a school so it was a big adjustment for her! She meets Fitz during a campus tour and I immediately loved these two from the start!

They go on a cross country road trip and ugh these two really pulled at my heart! Their individual growth was great but the way they grew together was even better. They had me smiling from ear to ear the entire time. It was truly such a joy to meet these characters! Even though I know the original story of Tangled so well, this still kept my attention the entire time. I was not ready for it to end!! Well done ladies, well done!! 🩷

Thank you, Hyperion Avenue and Christina Lauren for the ARC 🫶🏻

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this advanced reader ebook! I am a huge fan of Christina Lauren, and this one did not disappointment. I was a little worried at first because I found it cheesy at first, but it quickly grew on me.

This was one of my favorite recent titles from Christina Lauren. I love the writing style and the joyful premise made me giddy with glee. I’ll definitely be recommending it!