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Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca – a Review

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Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca – a Review

 

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Description:
A high-powered attorney from a success-oriented family, Louisa “Lulu” Malone lives to work, and everything seems to be going right, until the day she realizes it’s all wrong. Lulu’s cousin Mitch introduced her to the world of Renaissance Faires, and when she spies one at a time just when she needs an escape, she leaps into the welcoming environment of turkey legs, taverns, and tarot readers. The only drawback? Dex MacLean: a guitarist with a killer smile, the Casanova of the Faire… and her traveling companion for the summer.

Dex has never had to work for much in his life, and why should he? Touring with his brothers as The Dueling Kilts is going great, and he always finds a woman at every Faire. But when Lulu proves indifferent to his many plaid charms and a shake-up threatens the fate of the band, Dex must confront something he never has before: his future.

Forced to spend days and nights together on the road, Lulu’s interest in the kilted bad boy grows as he shows her a side of himself no one else has seen. The stresses of her old lifestyle fade away as she learns to trust her intuition and follow her heart instead of her head. But when her time on the road is over, will Lulu go with her gut, or are she and Dex destined for separate paths?

 

 

Review:

Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca is the 4th book in her Well Met series.  We meet our heroine, Louisa (Lulu) Malone from the start, as she is sent by her law firm to North Carolina to fix a client issue. Louisa is upset, as year after year, she keeps waiting to be promoted to partner; and sending her to North Carolina could have been handled by an intern.  When she is yelled at by her boss, Louisa realizes that she will never achieve partner status, knowing the firm was mostly white male; in her anger, she throws her phone into the lake. 

Louisa notices across the way that a Renaissance Faire is open, and buys herself a ticket.  Louisa has attended a faire at Willow Creek (previous books), and to her surprise, she runs into Stacey (second book heroine), who is working at the Renaissance Faire, since her boyfriend Daniel is part of the Dueling Kilts band.  Stacey talks to Mitch, Louisa’s cousin, and together between them they convince Louisa to take a break and join the faire.  Louisa agrees, and becomes famous, as the lady who threw her phone into the lake. 

Lulu (her new nickname) finds herself enjoying the fun, helping with food, going after hours to taverns, and enjoying the company of members of the Dueling Kilts. She begins to spend more time with the lead singer, Dex, whose reputation as a lady’s man follows him at all Faire events. Lulu slowly gets closer to the handsome hot hunk, with the killer smile; even though Stacey tries to warn her that Dex is bad news.  Later Lulu will also work with the tarot readers, in bringing in more organization and business; Lulu will also learn more about the reading of tarot cards.  I did enjoy this part, as it was fun and interesting.

It was fun to watch them both falling for each other, as they made a great couple, and I really liked them together, especially their awesome chemistry.  What follows is a fun, sweet romance between Dex and Lulu, rooting hard for them to find a way to stay together.

Well Matched was a fun, enjoyable, sweet and sexy story, and an amazing couple in Dex and Lulu. I really loved the secondary characters, in this story, as well as seeing some of our old favorites closer to the end. I also loved the ending.  Jen Deluca did a wonderful job writing this wonderful romantic comedy that that had a lot of humor and charm. I suggest you read Well Traveled, as it was a fun enjoyable read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

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Well Matched by Jen DeLuca – Review & Giveaway

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Well Matched by Jen DeLuca – Review & Giveaway

 

 

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Description:
Single mother April Parker has lived in Willow Creek for twelve years with a wall around her heart. On the verge of being an empty nester, she’s decided to move on from her quaint little town, and asks her friend Mitch for his help with some home improvement projects to get her house ready to sell.

Mitch Malone is known for being the life of every party, but mostly for the attire he wears to the local Renaissance Faire–a kilt (and not much else) that shows off his muscled form to perfection. While he agrees to help April, he needs a favor too: she’ll pretend to be his girlfriend at an upcoming family dinner, so that he can avoid the lectures about settling down and having a more “serious” career than high school coach and gym teacher. April reluctantly agrees, but when dinner turns into a weekend trip, it becomes hard to tell what’s real and what’s been just for show. But when the weekend ends, so must their fake relationship.

As summer begins, Faire returns to Willow Creek, and April volunteers for the first time. When Mitch’s family shows up unexpectedly, April pretends to be Mitch’s girlfriend again…something that doesn’t feel so fake anymore. Despite their obvious connection, April insists they’ve just been putting on an act. But when there’s the chance for something real, she has to decide whether to change her plans–and open her heart–for the kilt-wearing hunk who might just be the love of her life.

 

 

 

Review:

Well Matched by Jen DeLuca is the 3rd book in her Well Met series. This story continues to revolve around the town of Willow Creek, and the Renaissance Faire that comes every year.  We have anxiously awaited Mitch and April’s story, and am happy to say I loved it.

April, our heroine, who just recovered from a bad accident, knows that her daughter Caitlyn will be leaving at the end of the summer for college.  Even though she is close to her sister, Emily (previous book heroine), and her best friend Stacey (another previous book heroine), April is determined to fix up her house to sell it.  April has over the years, kept herself guarded and closed, only allowing her sister, Simon and Stacey to spend time with. 

Mitch, our hero, is a hot sexy hunk, who is also the towns gym teacher, as well as his participation in the annual Renaissance Faire, wearing only a kilt.  He does have a reputation of being a ladies man, with many flings, as all the girls love him.  April asks Mitch, who she considers simply a friend to help her with the renovations, and he in turn will ask April to pretend to be his fake girlfriend at the family dinner, since they always pick on him.  I loved Mitch, as he was so great with April, and secretly has had a crush on her.  April doesn’t think much about pretending to be his fake girlfriend, since she knows nothing real could happen between them, since he is 10 years younger than her.  Best laid plans. ?

It was fun to watch them both falling for each other, and they made a great couple, and I really liked them together, as they had great chemistry.  What follows is a fun, sweet romance between Mitch and April, and we rooted hard for them to find a way to stay together; especially since April is still planning to sell her home, and move closer to her job, after Caitlyn leaves for college.  Will April leave Mitch, Emily and Stacey?

I loved seeing the main characters from the earlier books, who played major parts in this one, as well as the fun of the faire, and residents of Willow Creek.  Well Matched was a fun, enjoyable, sweet and sexy story, and an amazing couple in Mitch and April.  Jen DeLuca did a wonderful job writing this wonderful romantic story that that had a lot of humor and charm. I suggest you read Well Matched, as it was a fun enjoyable read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

Jen Deluca’s publisher, Berkley, is offering a paper copy of WELL MATCHED to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe

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7. Giveaway is open to USA only

8. Giveaway runs from October 19th – October 23rd, 2021

 

 

 

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Well Played by Jen DeLuca – a Review

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Well Played by Jen DeLuca – a Review

 

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Description:
Stacey is jolted when her friends Simon and Emily get engaged. She knew she was putting her life on hold when she stayed in Willow Creek to care for her sick mother, but it’s been years now, and even though Stacey loves spending her summers pouring drinks and flirting with patrons at the local Renaissance Faire, she wants more out of life. Stacey vows to have her life figured out by the time her friends get hitched at Faire next summer. Maybe she’ll even find The One.

When Stacey imagined “The One,” it never occurred to her that her summertime Faire fling, Dex MacLean, might fit the bill. While Dex is easy on the eyes onstage with his band The Dueling Kilts, Stacey has never felt an emotional connection with him. So when she receives a tender email from the typically monosyllabic hunk, she’s not sure what to make of it.

Faire returns to Willow Creek, and Stacey comes face-to-face with the man with whom she’s exchanged hundreds of online messages over the past nine months. To Stacey’s shock, it isn’t Dex—she’s been falling in love with a man she barely knows.

 

 

Review:

Well Played by Jen Deluca is the 2nd book in her Well Met series.  This story revolves around the Renaissance Faire that comes to Willow Creek every year.  We met Stacey (our heroine) in the first book, as she was Emily’s (previous book heroine) best friend.  Stacey is happy with the friends she has in Willow Creek, but she feels something is missing, since she came back to Willow Creek years before to care for her mother.  She looks forward to the Faire every summer, playing her fun part as a wench, flirting with visitors and spending time with friends at the bar, but for the rest of the year, she is lonely.  She did find herself having a one night stand the last two years with Dex MacLean (a manwhore) who was part of the band Dueling Kilts, though he ignored her the rest of the time.

When the faire is over, to her surprise, she begins to receive emails from Dex, who is with his band at a large Renaissance Faire event that last for months.   Stacey finds herself looking forward to the emails, and beginning to have some feelings, but when it gets closer to the summer again and the faire at Willow Creek, she notices some things in his emails. She starts paying more attention to them, since they really do not sound like things Dex would say; sounding sweet, fun, caring and nothing like the egotistical Dex she knew. Stacey suspects that the man she was falling for is really his brother Daniel.

Daniel MacLean, our hero, is a nice guy, but also a bit shy. Upon arriving in Willow Creek, Stacey corners him accusing him that he is the one writing to her. At first Daniel will deny it, but he finally gives in and acknowledges that he was indeed her pen pal. At first Stacey is mad, but in a short time her and Daniel begin to act on their new found feelings, and the real romance begins.  They made a great couple, and I really liked them together, as they had great chemistry.  What follows is a fun romance between Stacey and Daniel, and if they will find a way to stay together, since Daniel and the band are on the road most of the year, and Stacey has family and friends in Willow Creek.

Well Played was a fun, sweet and sexy story, with another amazing heroine in Stacey.  I really loved the secondary characters in this series. I am looking forward to the next book, when its April (Emily’s sister) who will be matched to Mitch.  Jen Deluca did a wonderful job writing this wonderful romantic comedy that that had a lot of humor and charm. I suggest you read Well Played, as it was a fun enjoyable read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

 

 

 

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Well Met by Jen DeLuca – Review and Giveaway

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Well Met by Jen DeLuca – Review and Giveaway

 

 

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Description:
All’s faire in love and war for two sworn enemies who indulge in a harmless flirtation in a laugh-out-loud rom-com from debut author, Jen DeLuca.

Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?

The faire is Simon’s family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn’t have time for Emily’s lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she’s in her revealing wench’s costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they’re portraying?

This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can’t seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon, or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.

 

 

Review:

Well Met by Jen Deluca is her debut novel in a Renaissance Faire contemporary romance. We meet our heroine, Emily, as she is coming off a bad relationship and plans to spend the summer in Willow Creek, Maryland taking care of her sister, April, who was in a bad car accident.  Emily also helps to be the chauffer to her niece, Caitlyn; especially since her niece wants to be part of the annual Renaissance Faire. Emily get pulled into joining the faire, since an adult of a minor is needed to be part of it.

Emily will play the part of a tavern wench, and meets the leader of the faire, Simon, and immediately the two do not get along.  In a short time, Emily makes friends with the volunteers, and looks forward to seeing Mitch, one of the swordsman in his kilt.  She goes out of her way to avoid, Simon, who will take on the part of Captain Blackthrone, and in time the captain begins to play his role flirting with Emma (Emily) and soon the two of them begin to feel their attraction to each other heat up.   Emily worries if this is real, or just Simon playing his part.

Emily also befriends Chris, who owns a book store and is the Queen at the faire; she starts working there helping her with ideas to add a café section to the store.  As Emily’s sister starts slowly recuperating, she starts worrying what she will do with her life, as she has nothing to go back to.  With her relationship becoming hotter with Simon, is there a future for them?   Simon lost his brother a few years back, and picked up the responsibility of the Faire from him; a reason for him to always be strict and bad tempered.  He lets another side loose when acting like the pirate, and opening himself to feelings for Emily; but when the faire is over, Simon will go back to the way he was.  Will Simon be able to change for Emily?  Will Emily stay in Willow Creek, become the manager of the book store, and change Simon?

Well Met was a fun, sweet, cute and steamy story, with an amazing heroine.  I really loved the secondary characters, who opened their arms to Emily.  I thought at first Simon was too reserved and unyielding, but once he became the pirate captain, I did enjoy them together.  Jen Deluca did a wonderful job writing this wonderful romantic comedy that that had a lot of humor and charm, especially being her debut novel.  I suggest you read Well Met, as it was a fun enjoyable read.

Reviewed by Barb

Copy provided by Publisher

 

 

Jen Deluca’s publisher is graciously offering a paper copy of WELL MET to ONE lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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9. Giveaway runs from September 5 – 9, 2019

 

 

 

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