Absolute huge delight. Well Played was one of my favorite romances last year, so I had high hopes for this one. It was such a pleasure to be back at the ren faire, and it just had everything I loved about the first one. I thought the premise was a little risky- mistaken identity always is- but I thought that it ended at just the right time so they were able to explore their relationship and figure things out. Daniel's personality wasn't TOTALLY my favorite, but I thought that he complimented Stacey really well. I think this one really got to me because I can 100 percent, almost for sure, definitely see myself falling in love this way, so I found myself relating to a lot of it. Also this HEA is just incredible-so satisfying.

I enjoyed Well Met well enough when I read it - I found it a little bland, but I did like the setting and the characters. And I still had high hopes for the sequel because I liked Stacey as a side character in Well Met.

Honestly though, this was... again pretty bland, but also just... not great. I didn't like the main character too much, but I especially didn't like the love interest at all. And for good reason.

I just want to tell Jen DeLuca that yes, I understand that you wanted to write a HEA, but not all people *should* end up together. And not everything should be easily forgiven.

SPOILERS! Basically the entire plot hinges on a catfish scenario. And not one that's easily redeemable because of mistaken identity, no: the love interest knowingly pretends to be his own cousin to catfish the main character, knowing full well that she has no idea who he really is. He lies to her multiple times, and honestly, I thought his redemption arc was really glossed over and basically non-existent. I didn't want these people to end up together because I thought Stacey deserved better.

And let's be honest, it's really difficult to enjoy a romance novel when you're not rooting for the characters to end up together.

‪Let’s talk about Well Played y’all. Was it cute? Yes. Heartwarming? Yes. Was I rooting for Daniel from the start? YES. I was pleasantly surprised by Dex. I hope we get another installment feat. April & Mitch. Pick this title up in September! #wellplayed #netgalley‬

2.5 stars

I was so excited when this book was announced. I loved "Well Met" so very much (it was one of my favorite reads from 2019). I'm sorry to say I was quite disappointed with "Well Played."

The storyline between Daniel and Stacey is, quite frankly, catfishing, and how Stacey managed to move past Daniel's lies so quickly is beyond me. The magic from "Well Met" was so perfect. I loved everything about the Faire and the atmosphere DeLuca created in the first book. I don't know if it was the catfishing aspect, but this book really fell flat for me. My favorite scenes were the ones where they were at the Faire and I wish there was more.

I loved "Well Met" so much that I will continue with this series.

Received an arc from netgalley for an honest opinion.

What a fun story concept! I really loved the characters in this book, they were so much fun to get to know. I didn't know much about Renaissance faires before this, and I'm glad I got a sneak peek behind the scenes. If you're in the mood for a quick, fun read pick this up!

I really enjoyed the first entry in this series, Well Met. Unfortunately, this follow-up does not have the same charm or emotional clarity. The Cyrano-esque setup is a difficult needle to thread and the narrator's reactions and motivations around it are muddy. This might not matter so much if she had the warmth or appeal of the lead in the first novel, but Stacey is underwritten and has a tendency toward self-pity that tires quickly. I will still recommend Well Met to readers and look forward to a third entry that can overcome this sophomore slump.

The only word I can think to describe this book is "fine," which is a little sad because I loved Well Met so, so much! Don't get me wrong, I liked Stacey a lot as a character and narrator and I think Jen DeLuca's writing style is as enjoyable as ever, I just didn't think there was enough substance here both plot-wise and love interest-wise. Daniel seems great, but again, I'm stuck on "he seems nice" if someone asked me to describe him, and I guess I just wasn't keen on the updated Cyrano plot part of things. Not exactly my cup of tea, but a perfectly nice one that other tea drinkers might really enjoy!

Mostly a "meh." Not as good as the first in the series and to be honest, there really wasn't enough of a story for a full length book.

I read an e-ARC of this title and was pleasantly surprised by a couple of things. First, just as I was about to groan at the predictability of the plot or a character action, there was a twist (albeit a small one) to keep it from being too tropey. Nicely done.

Also, I really enjoyed the fact that the love story was almost entirely a written experience. Words are like that......they move people.

Finally, a thank you to the author who gave us a heroine with curves and the considerations of that in her life, as well as a leading man who is not ridiculously hot - because quite frankly, how many people are there like that in the world and how are all of them ending up in these books?!?!?!?

A nice surprise and a lovely, fun romantic read. 💜📚

Sorry, did not finish this one. The description gave too much away. Skipped to the end to confirm and wasn’t interested in the middle.

#2 in the Well Met series. This entry is just as much fun as the first! For Renaissance Faire enthusiasts it is a welcome walk back through the most wonderful time of the year. Stacey looks forward the the four weeks of the Willow Creek Faire every year but as the Faire approaches this year Stacey feels stuck and less excited than she has been about donning her tavern wench costume. In an attempt to cheer herself up during the off season, she emails, Dex, MacLean, of the Dueling Kilts, her no strings attached fling from the Faire. Before she realizes it, their emails are getting deeper and more serious. With the new season of the Faire beginning, Stacey finds out that the man she has been trading secrets with and falling in love with isn't who she thought he was. The development of the relationship between Stacey and Dex (online Dex) is sweet and very romantic. The big reveal when she finds out that she has really been corresponding with Daniel, Dex's cousin and the band's manager was well done. Can Stacey forgive Daniel for his deception? Fans of the first book will raise their glasses to a happy Huzzah! as all their favorite characters are back in full force.

Well Met was such a wonderful hit and such a great read, and Well Played followed through with that trend just fine. The concept of being fooled into thinking you're falling for another person is a trope that's not unseen before, but this book plays it all out in a funny and interesting way. The main character shows her vulnerability but she's funny and strong. It's a very cute read and such an ease to enjoy that it is hard to put down.

3.5/5 stars

Stacey is in a rut. She's lived in the garage apartment at her parents' ever since she had to turn down an NYC fashion job to care for her mom after a debilitating heart attack, she works as the ever-exciting receptionist at a local dentist office, she is an old hat at the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire, and her bestie is her cat. But when she sends a Facebook message to her Rennie with Benefits Dex, it has a butterfly effect, and her life will change drastically. In the 12 months before Dex returns to the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire, he and Stacey develop quite the pen pal relationship. But lies abound, and the likelihood that Stacey will get hurt is high. Can she take control of her life and find true love without leaving her heart in pieces?

The build-up to D and Stacey's relationship is really unique in Well Played. It's not a slow burn, despite your romance expectations. Instead, it's more open and authentic that simmering sexual tension. This was a nice change from the typical romance, but it does make the first 60% of the story drag a bit. And Stacey really feels sorry for herself at the beginning almost to the point where it's a Holden Caulfield situation, and I wanted to give up. But when D returns to Willow Creek, it picks up and DeLuca delivers.

And if I were a betting woman, I'd place all my money that the third in this series will be between April and Mitch....

I was so nervous this one wouldn't be as good as the first but I was BLOWN out of the water. I LOVE Stacey's story and her struggle to move on after a family emergency. There is so much heart in this book a little sliver of it will always live with me!

This was such a beautiful story!! It really represents modern-day relationships. Social media can really fool people, and this book does a good job showcasing that. I also love how the book describes true love as loving the personality and the inside of a person; not the outside. Also, the right amount of humor was included. REALLY LOVED THIS BOOK!

First of all, Well Met was one of my favorite reads last year! I enjoyed it so so much. There's no question that the author is a superbly talented writer!

I had a little more difficulty getting into this one. There were several pages that mostly revolved around the main character's friends and discussion of events that happened in the first book - to the point where I was just skimming pages waiting for the main story to take place. It seemed like it could have gotten there much, much faster.

Either way, it's an enjoyable read, though I much prefer the first!

I was so pleasantly surprised by "Well Met" that I was excited to get my hands on its sequel. Unfortunately, I was pretty disappointed. The two main characters lacked chemistry and their relationship any real direction. The first half of the book is largely made up of email and texts conversations that did not reflect much emotional maturity and read more like something I would expect from a middle grade or YA novel. The backdrop of the Renaissance Fair isn't as pronounced here. I found myself quite bored, and uninterested in this story.

Oh my goddddd

Okay so I obviously loved Well Met with all my heart and it was always going to be hard to follow. This book was AMAZING though and the back half really really got me good :) (I’m clearly a sucker for the renn). Stacey is hilarious and love able and deeply relate-able as I come across similar struggles. At first I was confused on how it would shake out, with the whole mistaken ID thing but honestly, it was all good.
I’d even recommend if you haven’t read well met but also, go read well met!
Loved it. Love Jen. Already need the next one (Mitch+Amy forever? Please?)
And god bless a kilted man.

I completely devoured Well Met, and absolutely freaked out when I saw the cover of Well Played. I barely even read the summary before requesting it, and waited patiently for my approval. I think I finished it within 24 hours of the approval (stupid work getting in the way!), and I had that same feeling of finishing it too fast, but not wanting to put it down while reading as I did with Well Met. Jen DeLuca, you have such a way of writing that truly makes me happy.
I fell in love with Emily and Simon in Well Met, and didn't think I would have that same feeling as I would for Stacey, but guess what? I totally did! Stacey is such a well-rounded character, and you immediately feel for her and her situation. When she gets that message from Dex, I truly stayed up way too late wanting to see what happened next.
This was a fantastic book, and I truly CANNOT wait for anything else from Jen DeLuca!

This was a book I really enjoyed. The author gave the main character a good backstory and I completely got why she wanted to both stay home and leave. While the “twist” was pretty obvious I still enjoyed it.