3.5 stars

Tropes/themes: fake dating; single mom; age gap (older woman/younger man); himbo man; social anxiety

I’ve been looking forward to this book since the first book in this companion series came out and this romance was teased. Sadly, it didn’t quite live up to how much I adored book 1. With the fake dating trope, I think they got together too soon and then a lot of the book was mostly our main character being really avoidant and commitment phobic and not using her words. I did still pull for them though and wanted them to work out even though she was being a little too emotionally unavailable for my liking. I also wish her personal arc and development was a little better as it felt a bit half baked to me.

One side note that I love about this series is none of the characters have a happily ever after that features having kids or hinting that they will have kids. Multiple character discuss being child free and that’s something you don’t see a lot in romance.

I still plan to continue with this series if Jen DeLuca keeps writing books in this world.

Thank you so much to Berkley and Netgalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love these books. They make my nerdy, socially anxious heart so incredibly happy. And this third book was no different. At this point, we've known these characters for several books now, and getting to finally see April and Mitch's love story was so satisfying.

The Ren Faire aspect of this series has been so incredibly fun, and getting to see a new part of it in every book is great. In this one, you get to see it again through a newcomer's POV-April. She's been a hardworking single mom for so long that it's hard for her to let loose, but seeing her gradually learn how to accept help and other people into her life despite her anxiety was incredibly heartwarming. I can't say she didn't frustrate me several times throughout the course of the book, but the way in which everything wrapped up was perfect. Learning more about Mitch instead of seeing him as the neighborhood friendly jock was great, too, and seeing his family dynamic explained a lot about him.

I loved this book. I flew through it in one day, as I did with the second book earlier this week. Ultimately I gave it 4 stars, and would absolutely recommend this series to anyone with a love of Renaissance Faires and a steamy romance. I'm a definite Jen DeLuca fan after this, for sure!

I loved 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘔𝘦𝘵, but was underwhelmed by 𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘭 𝘗𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘥 (Well Met #2), so I had some trepidation about 𝗪𝐄𝐋𝐋 𝐌𝐀𝐓𝐂𝐇𝐄𝐃 (Well Met #3). Well. . . cue the sound effects because "It's a MATCH!" In fact- it may be my favorite of the series.
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I fell hard for Mitch and April's story. The whole thing was a thoroughly entertaining romp that brought a smile to my face. It's a slower build with plenty of plot and depth. I enjoyed watching both their relationship and personal growth develop. It felt realistic and the payoff was worth it. I found it refreshing that April is a nearly-40 yr old single mom and gets her happy ending. Fake dating, angst, banter, only one bed, bonding via home improvement, age gap and personal baggage- it all worked!

April is a single mother with a teenage daughter. She is asked by Mitch, a younger man, to pretend to be his girfriend at a family gathering. Things get complicated and they end up doing a lot more than just pretend. The premise is fine but the execution? Not so much. April is afraid to get too attached, doesn't want to be the center of attention, falls in love with Mitch but can't risk rejection - like a 14 year old. They obviously never have any serious conversations when they are together which made me wonder why they even liked each other beyond the physical attraction. I had to make myself finish the book so I could give this review. Glad it is over.

A romance that was both uncomfortable and fun to read, at th same time. I understand the independent home body and appreciate the transition into a people person.

I enjoyed Well Met, and it was nice to meet April and Mitch again in DeLuca's newest installment. I was a bit disappointed with Well Played, and kind of felt the same with this one. Neither of the two sequels really were as appealing as the first, and though it was nice to revisit the RenFaire again, this experience this time around paled a bit in comparison. Just not for me, I guess.

So I’m not going to sugar coat it: this book was a letdown. I had such high hopes for it after 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒚𝒆𝒅 totally bombed because I didn’t think DeLuca could possibly write two lackluster books in a row.

I was wrong.

Now, y’all should know by now that I’m a SUCKER for fake dating. In exchange for help preparing her house to sell, April (the older sister of Emily from 𝑾𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝑴𝒆𝒕) agrees to be Mitch’s date to an anniversary dinner for his grandparents. Only, the dinner turns into a full weekend thing and April realizes she doesn’t mind so much being in a relationship with Mitch, even if it is a total sham.

Turns out, I don’t actually like April. Her I’m-40-with-a-daughter-going-off-to-college-my-life-is-over-woe-is-me attitude really grated on me pretty early, and it never got better. She continued to find herself genuinely surprised when the townspeople stood up for her and praised her for raising such a spectacular daughter, even though she’d lived in Willow Creek for 12 years. And she couldn’t understand why Mitch was interested in her even though he made it abundantly clear on multiple occasions.

I also wanted more steam. With Mitch as the male lead, I was expecting some borderline freaky shit, and all-in-all the sex in this was extremely tame.

Mitch is the reason this book got three stars. Mitch is everything. Absolutely my favorite male lead in the series. I also loved getting to spend more time with Emily and Simon.

I loved this book! Almost as much as I loved Well Met! This one was Mitch and April's story! It was so well written and paced. I loved how relatable April was as a single mom struggling with a lot of mom problems but handling it with so much class and dignity. Then there was Mitch. He is nothing what I expected and everything April needed....

There was not one part of this book that I didn't fall in love with!

Mitch Malone is the town's hunky gym teacher who is famous for wearing a kilt very well every summer during the town's Ren Faire. He's everybody's friend yet the truth is he is lonely. April Parker is a single-mom who is ready to "get a life" now that her daughter is almost graduating from high school. April is sure that that getting that life means getting out of town but her friend Mitch would like to convince her to stay in town and with him.

Mitch is wonderful! For anyone who has read the earlier books in the series Mitch has been a favorite side character in the previous stories so it was great to see him get his own shot at love. I tore through this book. It was fun, flirty and made me want to move to the town of Willow Creek or at least attend their Faire so that I could drink cider and ogle men in kilts!

Thank you Berkley Romance and Netgalley for a gifted copy of this book.

Phew! After not loving Well Played I was nervous about picking up this one but I'm happy to say this go around in Willow Creek one was great! Mitch has been such a fun character in the past 2 books I was excited to dive deeper into his character and back story. The way he and April got together as well as how they navigated their conflict feels very organic and realistic.

Perfect light fluffy romance!

**Review will be published Oct. 14th on my site and social media pages.**

AAAAAAPRIL.

Someone please tell me they read that in Andy Dwyer’s voice?

After that brief intro, let me voice my thoughts on this book.

BECAUSE I LOOOOOOVED IT.

All I could want for Mitch and April’s storyline was in here. I have been waiting for this book since Well Met. It wrapped me up and filled me with so many emotions throughout. I finished it in a day because I was so enraptured by this love story.

I love that there was a deeper story for Mitch. I really got to see all of his layers pulled back and see the insecurities that he struggles with. Watching April stand up for him and be by his side brought all the warm fuzzies and fist pumps because I was behind her back saying YEAH TELL ‘EM. The united front brought on by fake-dating (YUP THAT TROPE Y’ALL!!!) gave way to the clear emotional pull between them. [And let’s face it, I’m a total sucker for the fact he wore a kilt for a good portion of this book.]

April frustrated me, but not in an overly annoying way. More of a, I get it, kind of way. She had to work through a lot of feelings. Coping with becoming an empty nester after being a single-mom, seeing her ex again and learning that plans change. And that all of that is okay. But that it’s also okay to have moments of pure doubt and freak out a little because change is scary. Even when I felt exasperated, I still sat in April’s corner cheering her on to her, much deserved, happy ending.

There’s many a trope abound in here. And I love a good mash-up. Fake-dating was already mentioned, but there’s also single bed, age gap, and more. I was wrapped up in all the Ren Fest related and this series always makes me want to pull out a corset and dive into the fray. I ADORED a moment that reminded me of a scene in Grease (and I’m sure many other books/movies, IYKYK because I don’t want to spoil). There was layer upon layer of story here that had me swooning, begging for reconciliation, and rallying for that final push to my favorite kind of HEA.

Overall audience notes:
- Contemporary Romance
- Language: some strong
- Romance: kisses to a few open door scenes
- Trigger/Content Warnings: divorce (husband abandons April), family tension/bullying, abandonment of a child (side character)

So sad this series is over because I loved it so. I had no desire to visit a Renaissance faire before but after this series I want to visit one asap. I'm really glad April got her own book because she is a character I really enjoy.
I really enjoyed the romance between April and Mitch and how it felt so organic. I really didn't enjoy the second book in the series but this book definitely made up for it. So sad to leave this town but thanks for the memories.

"Well Matched" by Jen DeLuca
Well Met #3
Release Date: 10.19.2021

April Parker, a single mom, has lived for the past 12 years protecting her heart. She keeps to herself, focusing on her daughter, Caitlin. With Caitlin graduating and leaving for college, April asks her friend, Mitch, to help her with some home repairs before she sells her home. She's leaving her little town to move closer to her job location.

Mitch is always the center of attention. He teaches gym at the local school, hangs out at the bar in his free time, and.especially loves wearing a kilt to the local Renaissance Faire. Mitch agrees to help April with the home improvements, as long as she helps him with a tiny favor -- April will pretend to be his girlfriend at Mitch's grandparents' anniversary dinner, so his family will stop tormenting him. April agrees.

Dinner turns into a weekend trip, and April and Mitch feel a connection. But, as quick as the weekend happened, so did their fake relationship.

The Renaissance Faire returns to Willow Creek, and April decides to volunteer. Mitch's family shows up unannounced, and April is back to being Mitch's pretend girlfriend. Of course, everything feels so familiar, it does not feel like pretend.

I enjoyed seeing April grow and come out of her shell throughout this novel. Plus, who doesn't love a hunk in a kilt? Their banter was adorable!

Thank you to @netgalley for the opportunity to read in exchange for my honest opinion.

#bookstagrammer #bookstagram #netgalley #netgalleyreads #netgalleybooks #2021bookreleases #contemporaryromance #romcombooks #jendeluca #wellmatched

I never read romance novels, but this series attracted me because who doesn't love a good Ren Fest? I have been waiting for Mitch and April's story since the first book hinted that it was coming. The book did not disappoint! It was perfectly steamy balanced with the right amount of conflict and self discovery. I also feel that the ending was perfect for concluding the series. I hope to read more from DeLuca in the future!

I would die for Mitch.

I'm sorry, but he might be my favorite hero in this series. Who am I kidding? I'm not sorry. I love him so much, even Simon pales in comparison.

This book was such a fun, addictive read. And I'm not just saying this because I adore Mitch. I'm saying this because I also adore our protagonist, April. She's been through a lot and has built a wall around herself, and I loved watching her learn how to come out of her shell over the course of this book. Her dynamic with Mitch was so fun to watch, and did I mention there's the fake dating trope? And only one bed? This book spoils us.

Now, if you've read Jen DeLuca's previous books, you probably already have an idea of what to expect from the writing. It's grounded, relatable, with plenty of wit. What I love a lot about this book, that we didn't see much in the previous two, is the actual town of Willow Creek. We know the Ren Faire well by now, but through April's eyes we see the downsides of such a small town.

But don't worry, we still get some time on Faire grounds. It definitely isn't as big of a part of this book as it is the first, or even really the second, but I appreciated the glimpses of it we got. And the rest of the plot and characters made up for the lack of Renaissance escapism.

In the end, this was a fantastic installment in a series that made me spend way too much money on my own Ren Faire dress (no, technically Jen DeLuca didn't force me to buy it, but I am blaming her).

I'm going to miss Mitch and April, but I already cant wait for my next reread.

April is a single mother who is on the verge of being an empty nester. She had put up walls and is set to sell her house and move as soon as her daughter graduates high school. But April needs some things improved before she can put it on the market.

Mitch is the local gym teacher and Renaissance Faire kilt wearer and he has just been enlisted by April to help her with her home renovations, But he needs a favor in return, he needs a fake girlfriend to attend his grandparents anniversary weekend-get-together.

As they work together they start to learn more and more about each other They both have sides that anyone rarely sees but somehow they have opened up to one another. And the more April learns, the more she feels like she has shut too much out. As a matter of fact, she now finds herself volunteering/working the Renaissance Faire.

But as the home renovations wind down, the time draws closer for April to sell her house. Will she actually be able to say goodbye to the town and Mitch?

I loved the character development and depth. Mitch is struggling to be seen as more than just the gym teacher, especially with his family and April is finally letting go and letting people in.

Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Pub for the opportunity to read this. It was my first time reading a book by Jen Deluca and I look forward to reading more by her.

As a fan of this series, I always knew there was more to Mitch than the easy going player image he projected. In the third book of the Well Met series, Well Matched, we find Mitch in need of a girlfriend to take to a family function and he asks April to be his fake girlfriend. April thinks it will be a lark and asks in exchange for help getting her house fixed up to sell since her daughter will soon be leaving for college and she wants out of Willow Creek. After years of being a single mother, as an empty nester she wants to finally live for herself.

They find a mutual attraction and an easy friendship. At some point their relationship stops being transactional and starts becoming something real.

April’s growth as she discovers she does want roots; she does want to be part of something; she can be a “joiner” and not lose herself was a trajectory I could relate to.

As always I am impressed with Jen DeLuca’s unique and creative setting-a Renaissance Faire-that adds so much fun and escapism to her books.

Another fresh idea was the lead characters being beyond their twenties. April is 40 and that is a welcome change for a romance.

Thank you NetGalley and Berkley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Though this wasn't my favorite of the series, that doesn't mean I won't keep reading any book that Jen DeLuca puts out.

I liked the plot toward the beginning, which was a fun take on the typical fake dating trope. As I got deeper into the story, it started to get more meh. The pacing felt off and I never really connected with April or Mitch. I think this entry suffered from having less Faire presence. That setting is what makes this series so fun and different!

2.5 stars. I am so, so bummed that I didn't love this one. I had been anxiously awaiting Mitch & April's story after feeling hints of it in the previous two books, but this didn't hit the notes that I was hoping it would. Mitch & April had SO much chemistry going into this book, but from page one everything about the set up of their relationship and their interactions felt really forced. I also feel like all the side-characters just felt like shadows of the previous versions we met and as a whole this just really didn't work for me and I am so sad to leave the series feeling this way. I will probably check out more from Jen Deluca in the future, but this one was a miss for me. Womp :c

This one is the mpst character focused of her series. I almost wish this is the last one, but theres probably 2-3 more to come. The concept is getting a little boring, but a nice light romance with some spice but not so much you can't reccomend it to a a new to the genre..