3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

Well Met by @jendeluca was one of my absolute favorite romcoms of 2019, so when I found the widget for the sequel, Well Played, in my email a couple weeks ago, I was beside myself with excitement! I couldn't wait to get back to the Ren Faire world of Willow Creek, and while this second visit may not have been quite as powerful as the first, it was nonetheless charming!

Thank you so much to @jendelucawrites @berkleyromance and @netgalley for this wonderful ARC!

DeLuca's sequel focuses on Stacey, who readers of Well Met will remember as one of the first friends Emily made in Willow Creek. Fun-loving, bubbly, and always smiling, Stacey's life has long-revolved around Willow Creek's Renaissance Faire, karaoke nights at the local bar, her job as a dental office receptionist, and keeping an eye on her parents (especially in light of the heart attack her mother suffered five years before). But lately, Stacey's life has felt stagnant, especially as more of her friends begin to marry and start families. At 27, the closest thing she's had to a relationship recently is hooking up with Dex MacLean (the hunky, kilt-wearing player of the band, The Dueling Kilts) the past couple summers during Faire. In a rare moment of extreme honesty (after several glasses of wine), Stacey confesses her true feelings for Dex in an email, and is pleasantly surprised when she receives a sensitive, heartfelt reply back. Could there be way more to Dex than just his Chris Hemsworth-esque body?

Embarking on an 11-month-long online and text relationship, Stacey's feelings for Dex grow even more, but when The Dueling Kilts and Ren Faire return in July, she receives quite a shock when she realizes the man behind the sweet texts and emails she's been receiving is not Dex.

I really loved getting to know more about Stacey's character in this follow-up book. I adored how close she is to her parents (especially her mom), and completely felt for her as she struggled to break away from the nest while still feeling tethered there by the worry that her mom's health could worsen if she left. The cameo appearances by Emily and Simon were a nice feature of the book, and while Stacey's catfish romance didn't quite have the same powerful chemistry and draw for me that Emily and Simon's did in Well Met, I was completely rooting for her happily ever after and really admired how much she grew as a character. The supporting characters of April, Mitch, Emily, and Simon were wonderful, and this book definitely gave me the dose of steam and Ren Faire magic I was hoping for. I don't want to give too much away, so let me conclude by saying that, if you loved Well Met, definitely give this one a read because it is a charming page-turner that will leave you smiling and hype you up for DeLuca's Well Matched, which is rumored to be dropping in 2021! I can't wait!

Well Met is available for pre-order now and will be hitting shelves in September, so definitely get your pre-orders and library holds in now!

Maybe even down to 2.5 stars? It's cute, but I didn’t enjoy this one nearly as much as Well Met. I had a hard time connecting with the characters, they weren't as solidly defined as Emily and Simon were. There weren't any really endearing traits or decided passions/interests that anchored the characters of Stacey and Daniel, or that made them seem like they belonged together. And so much of the development of the relationship happened off-page, so I wasn’t as invested in it.

*This review is based on NetGalley ARC provided in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion.

I love Renaissance Faires so this book was great. While a little predictable it was still a lot of fun. I figured out the angle pretty quickly but it was interesting to see which way the author would go with it. Loved the characters and the way the protagonist learns to move forward.

I really enjoyed the second installment to the Well Met series! Stacey is a fun, vibrant twenty-something year old that is stuck in a rut. When she begins an online correspondence she begins to think outside her small town life and more about her own happiness. The love story was predictable, but that's not always a bad thing. The end also felt a bit flat...but overall I'm a sucker for a Ren Faire themed story!!

I think I might have found my favorite book of 2020! Honestly this was a much better story than Well Met. I loved Stacey with every fiber of my being. I absolutely love a plus sized main character, it makes me feel represented in romance novels.

Stacey has been emailing the sexy Dex since last Faire. But when she finds out that she wasn’t emailing Dex at all she must come to the realization that maybe the person she’s meant to be with had been in front of her all along. As Stacey deals with being 20 something and single you really get to know her and her potential love interest Daniel. Seeing the two fall in love really made me want to go out to a faire and find a true love of my own hidden amongst the performers.

A sweet read that I blew through in a day. It was worth every minute and I highly suggest it to everyone!

Well Met was one of my favorite romances last year, and the sequel doesn't disappoint. So warm and often hilarious, and its romance went in a place I didn't really expect but felt like a natural development. Will be recommending this one as much as I did Well Met.

The follow-up to Jen Deluca’s last year’s hit, Well Played delivers a charming and heartwarming romance at the same small town Renaissance Faire you fell in love with in Well Met.
Stacey is feeling a little stuck in her life – she doesn’t love her job and she’s living in an apartment above her parents’ garage. When her friends Emily and Simon announce their engagement she feels the need to do something to make a change. After having one glass of wine too many, Stacey works up the courage to message her Summer Fling from the Faire and share her feelings. She’s pleasantly surprised when she receives a message back and the two begin emailing back and forth. However, as Stacey thinks she’s building a relationship with Dex MacLean, she’s actually been messaging with Dex’s cousin Daniel. Things come to a head right before the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire is about to start and Stacey has to decide if she can give Daniel a second chance and if she will fight for what she wants for her life.
Deluca has created another quick and entertaining story. The Renaissance Faire setting has such a summer vibe and is so unique. I love reading these books and I’m sure I’ll re-read them again before the next book is released.

Stacey decides she is in a rut, and after a few glasses of wine makes a bold move over the computer to a former fling from Faire. She is both surprised and exhilarated by the response she gets. As things move on over the course of months, and closer to the next Faire season, Stacey can't wait to see Dex again to find out if all of conversations they have been having are the real man behind the facade she thought she knew. A litle bit cliched, but still a fun romantic comedy read that will keep you interested. Fun setting, good characters.

Well Played was a fun, easy read! The characters were like-able, the setting was entertaining, and the story flowed well. I had no idea that this was the second book for the author, I am now reading the first book (Well Met), and enjoying it as well. The authors descriptions of the Fair have me wanting to attend a fair again (unfortunately all near me have been cancelled this year). I would definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for a fun, easy romance.

Sweet contemporary romance focusing on long-distance relationships and grappling with loneliness. I really liked the characters in this one and enjoyed that the secondary characters were well developed as well as the leads, which I think builds well on the first book in the series where I felt the secondary characters could use a little more depth. Thoughtfully done use of the setting, which overlaps a lot with the first book, without this feeling at all like a re-write of the same story. Would recommend to contemporary romance fans, as well as possibly some historical fans who might enjoy the way that the Renaissance Faire captures aspects of history too.

Well Played is the second book in the series. However, you can start with this one as it loses nothing if you read as a stand-alone. I enjoyed both books (so go back and read Well Met if you haven't) fun romance with a dash of Ren-Faire.

Well Met was one of my favorite books of last year, so I was stoked to see that the sequel is so close to publication! I loved this book. Not as much as the first one, but I enjoyed the expansion of the world and seeing Simon and Emily's love story come together.

This is my first time reading a book by Jen DeLuca and I just learned that this is the second book in this series (to me this book read like a stand-alone, which is perfect!!). Great story! Great romance! Great fun!! I can't wait to read more from this author!

Due to her mother's illness, Stacey's dreams of a NYC job were put on hold. She's stayed in her small town, given up a fashion merchandising career to work in a dentist's office, and lives in the apartment above her parents' garage. Her chance to step into another persona happens every summer when she volunteers at the local ren faire. And for the past couple summers, part of the fun has included no-strings hookups with the hunky Dex, part of a band playing at the faire. Dex is rumored to have a wench at every faire so Stacey knows not to expect anything more than casual sex.

But what if she does want more? Now the faire is over, Stacey's best friend is engaged, other high school and college friends have moved on with careers and families. And Stacey hasn't. So after one glass of wine too many, she reaches out to Dex via social media. Oops.

Except he responds. That starts months of flirtatious, sometimes soul-baring email and texts. Until it's faire season again and things aren't exactly what or who they seem to be.

The description of the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire was a lot of fun. Stacey was mostly relatable although I wanted her to have more of a spine at times.

Thanks to NetGalleyand Berkley for the DRC.

I received an Advanced Readers Copy of this title from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Swoon and swoon again! Jen DeLuca's first book in the series, Well Met, easily became my favorite romance when it was published, so I KNEW I would love the second in the series, Well Played. Huzzah to DeLuca for making me love the characters in Willow Creek even more in this installation!

Our protagonist, Stacey, has grown up in Willow Creek her whole life, and is a fixture at the Willow Creek Ren Faire each year. She dreams of packing up her tuxedo cat, Benedick (which is the most perfect cat name when your Ren Faire name is Beatrice) and creating a life outside of her small town. After a night of maaaybe drinking a little too much wine, she begins chatting online with her summer faire fling. But this Shakespearean style comedy is far from simply talking to a crush!

Stacey is such a wonderful character to follow in this book, and DeLuca did an amazing job creating a heroine that strives for growth, change, and love. She's earnest, optimistic, and a wonderful friend who supports those she cares about. I will say, I would 100% recommend reading Well Met before jumping in to Well Played since DeLuca incorporates the characters from the first book, which was a delight to see since some follow-ups only mention past characters in passing. I cannot wait to visit Willow Creek again for the third book!

This was a very fun book, just like the first one in the series. I enjoyed the Renaissance Faire setting and the romance was light and flirty! The only thing I had an issue with was the fact that I knew who her love interest was from beginning because of the cover of the book. Even still, I can get past the "secrecy" of his identity because he just seems like such a good guy! Anyway, I would recommend because it is on the same exact vein of the first book: fun and flirtatious, with the first book's protagonists making a good number of appearances! This book is exactly what I could've wanted from Jen DeLuca and I cannot wait for the next installment!

Return to the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire--AKA, the Best Ren Faire Ever!--in this fantastic sequel to "Well Met".

"Sometimes I wished I was the one packing up and moving on. Sometimes I was tired of standing still."

Stacey lives for those few weeks in summer when she gets to dress up and become Beatrice the Tavern Wench. Being Beatrice gives her the joy that being Stacey doesn't have. She has a job she doesn't love, gave up a career before it even began to take care of her sick mom, is still living with her parents (well, parent-adjacent), and let's not talk about her love life.

And with Faire comes the Dueling Kilts, the band that features Dex MacLean, the sexy, kilt-wearing guitar player who is rumored to have a wench at every Faire. What he and Stacey have is casual; no strings attached. But Stacey wants those strings. When a drunken night in a post-Faire depression coupled with feeling that everyone is moving on without her results in sending a Facebook message to Dex, Stacey is surprised to see that he actually replied! Suddenly, she has a pen-pal: dedicated and funny and kind and so very interested in her.

The only problem? It's not Dex she's talking to. Shakespeare has nothing on the drama that is about to unfold...

Five stars and a hearty "Huzzah!" for "Well Played"! I adored this second book set at the Willow Creek Ren Faire, and the return to see all of the friends we made in the first book! We see Emily and Simon as they prepare to tie the knot, Mitch continues to be Mitch in his kilt, and April's sass is stronger than ever. And Stacey. Oh my goodness Stacey! I totally related to her, being a young woman in her mid-twenties living with her parents, wanting a change of scenery, craving a romantic relationship, and owner of a tuxedo cat. (The last one is very important in this case; for Stacey, not me.)

Stacey is amazing, but I feel for her so much; she tries so hard to make other people happy and take care of other people, all while denying herself that same happiness. I loved seeing her character expanded on in this book, and how much the Faire is a part of her as much as she is a part of it.

"Well Played" is addicting, exciting, full of fun, and will make you crave a turkey leg. Or some mead. And will definitely make you crave a man in a kilt (or two--who am I to judge?).

I fell in love with Jen DeLuca's first book, Well Met, when I first read it last fall. I always approach a second novel with a little trepidation- will it be as good as the first? Well, let me put your mind at rest- Well Played is fantastic! It's not just a retread of the same story= instead it focuses on Stacey, Emily's friend in the first book, as she develops a relationship with Dex, a former hook-up, over Facebook messages, emails, and texts throughout the fall, winter and spring leading up to the next Ren Faire season. I loved how we get to see Emily and Simon as they move forward in their relationship, as well as getting to know April, Emily's sister, a little bit better. This was such a fun read and I'm already dying to read the third book!

While I did not enjoy this as much as the first book, this was another fun return to the world of a small town Ren Faire. While I cannot pinpoint the exact thing, there was something about this story that fell a little flat. Still enjoyable, and I hope to read more books based in this world

Mistaken identity, romance through email and texts, and just lots of love in this awesome book! I loved Stacey and her loyalty to everyone, but was rooting for her to get a chance to have more adventure in her life. Daniel is so sweet and romantic. I loved their story, and seeing everyone else from book one was a wonderful bonus!