This will forever be one of my favorite series! Obviously, the first in the series, Well Met, is the best, but I've enjoyed them all. This one, however, is definitely now my second favorite behind Well Met! I loved the characters, and I loved that a lot of this book took place outside of the setting of the first three books. I can't get enough of this series!

5/5 Stars

** I received this as an E-ARC from NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review, Thank you!**

I loved this book. It was flirty, fun and gave me some fun tarot and witchy vibes I didn't expect. I really had a great time with the romance in this book. I thought Dex and Louisa were a cute couple. I loved that the throwing the phone scene. I have imagined myself doing the exact same thing on a few occasions. I really just felt comforted while reading. This book was just exactly what I needed. I read it all in one sitting because I couldn't put it down. I was ready for the romance between these two to blossom. For sure one of my favorites in this series.

This was another fantastic contemporary romance from Jen DeLuca! Overall, I would definitely recommend!

I received an e-ARC from the publisher.

Lulu is our beloved Mitch's cousin. High profile lawyer, at her breaking point decides to go ghost on her regular life and run away to the ren fair for the summer. It was so nice to be back in the world I love. Especially with all the characters I've missed. This read like more of a women's fic about Lulu finding herself and her place - which is great - but not what I expected. I was in it for the romance which felt largely brushed over. It wasn't really a slow burn, or an enemies to lovers, or very smutty. The romance very much took a back seat which is wildly disappointing.

After realizing no matter how hard she works, she won’t make partner at her current law firm, Lulu quits her job & takes up with friend’s of her cousin Mitch, The Dueling Kilts & temporarily joins the Renaissance Faire. She meets Dex, the handsome, man bun wearing guitarist with a woman at every Faire. While Lulu seems to be the only one immune to his charms, she’s also the only on who see him for more than the pretty faced façade he puts on.

Quick Breakdown:

Forced Proximity
Reformed Playboy
Sudden Roommates
Open Door: Mild Detail
Single POV

This was such a delight. I’ve loved Jen’s Well Met series since reading through the first three books last fall. The Renaissance Faire setting is just so unique. With most of the story taking place there, the strong imagery makes you feel so much more immersed in Faire culture. The setting along with Lulu & her solid character arc were my favorite things.

I was really excited to have Dex as our hero since reading about him in the previous books. I wanted nothing more than to see him fall in love, but I found it hard to connect with him. IMO, reformed player is a very hard trope to pull off in a single POV romance. With that, on top of a slow build, I was left wishing we had more romance on page to sell me on the couple.

That being said, the audiobook here was really well done. I went back & forth between reading & listening, making it even easier to get wrapped up in the story.

Lulu is a total workaholic who has had enough. When she throws her phone into a tub of water and quits her job on a whim, she has to figure out what she is going to do with herself. Luckily for her, she is at a renaissance fair where they are more than happy to have her tour with the Dueling Kilts and their very handsome group member named Dex.

Sparks fly but when the summer is over, will Lulu go with her heart or head back to the corporate world?

I LOVE THIS SERIES!! Everything about these books is just amazing. The characters never fail to make me smile and laugh. AHH I can't say enough wonderful things. I definitely recommend it.

Jen DeLuca’s Renaissance Faire series just hits for me. Well Traveled really takes the Ren Faire fantasy to live with Lulu having a bit of a break down, quitting her job, destroying her cell phone and running off to travel with a band to faires for two months. I mean, who doesn’t have a secret fantasy about dropping everything and running away (especially for me to Renaissance Faires). Renaissance meaning rebirth really fits in this context too. Lulu is looking for a rebirth, a restart. She really takes this time to examine what she wants in life, the impact of her family on her choices, and what truly makes her happy. And along the way she discovers that a hot guitar player in a kilt really makes her happy.

Dex definitely feels like the less flesh-out character in the book. Part of that is the story is all from Lulu’s POV but he also has the fun-loving, lady’s man persona and even as that starts to fall away, I feel like we only get glimpses into him. Also, with Lulu going through such upheaval, growth, and change, she’s the dominate focus of the book and he gets brushed aside a bit. I would have liked more insight into Dex because at times he almost feels like a desire rather than a full-fledged character.

As the reader, you quickly get pulled into the emotions of Lulu and feel the weight she is under until she cracks. And you understand her panic but also excitement at a different life and adventure. She travels with the band and Stacey and Daniel from Well Played but always craves out a role for herself at the faires. This is a story of rebirth and what better place for it than Renaissance Faires, surrounded by pageantry, costumes, fortune-telling, and turkey legs?

I really like this series, but this one is my least favorite. The romance took a long time to begin and it was very heavy on the faire details, which didn’t interest me much.

4 stars

You can read all of my reviews at Nerd Girl Loves Books.

This is a super cute contemporary romance involving a high-powered corporate attorney and a Renaissance Faire Irish kilt-wearing lead singer in a band. Louisa, "Lulu" to her cousin, is out of town for work. Completely stressed out, she discovers a Renaissance Faire is taking place nearby and goes there for an escape. While there, she runs into a band that she met earlier that summer while attending a faire with her cousin. When events take a drastic turn, Louisa finds herself unemployed and running away with the faire for the summer.

Dex is the guitar player and singer for the band. He's handsome, charming and the faire circuit lothario. He's got a woman at every faire, and he's happy about that. He's confused by Louisa's indifference to his charms, and when the band's future is in doubt, he must face something he's avoided so far. His future.

I enjoyed seeing Louisa's transformation into carefree Lulu. Her mind is opened to new opportunities and she finds herself succumbing to Dex's charm. Dex starts out as the stereotypical bad boy, but Lula is able to see a side of Dex that he doesn't share with everyone. As they spend quiet times together and learn more about each other, the couple get closer and closer until eventually they hook up. Both are happy and content with their relationship, but know there is a time clock on it. I really enjoyed the dynamic of the band, and the minor characters added depth and humor to the story. Dex and Lulu's flirtation was so cute, and I loved reading their banter.

When the band reaches the faire in Lulu's cousin's town, Lulu starts looking for work and leaves the faire circuit. Dex knows he can't leave the life he's always known, traveling and playing music he loves so much. Can they admit their feelings for each other and come to a compromise? Will Lulu and Dex follow their heads or their hearts?

If you're looking for a cute, fun, flirty romance that is a quick and easy read, I highly recommend you read this one. Although it's part of a series, it can be read as a stand-alone. I was provided with a complimentary copy of this book from NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group. All opinions are my own.

This was such a cute story! I truly love this series – and it’s definitely given me a new appreciation for the Renaissance Faire. That said, I don’t think this was my favorite of the series overall.

So far, that’s still reserved for Well Matched. But even still, I LOVED how this book took the time to uncover a character that had been perceived one way their entire life: as a playboy, basically. Dex is so much more than that once we get a chance to get to know him, but even he has fed into the reputation people have given him. That is, until Lulu – Mitch’s cousin – drops into the faire circuit by accident in desperate need of escape.

If you haven’t read this series yet, I definitely recommend it. There are fun enemies to lovers, friends to lovers, catfishing, and found family moments throughout each book. They are all slow burn romcoms and are filled with characters you will wish you could spend your summers with.

Thank you @berkleypublishing @netgalley and @letstalkbookspromo for my Advance reader copy

This is my favorite book of the author’s Renaissance Faire series! I enjoyed Well Met, the first one in the series but this one was absolutely fun and romantic and perfect. If you’ve read the others, you’ll love the latest installment featuring Lulu and Dex. You can also read it as a stand-alone without missing anything.

Louisa (Lulu) Malone is working night and day trying to make partner at the huge law firm where she’s an attorney. When Louisa is sent on assignment and tries to take just a couple of hours off at a local Renaissance Faire, she ends up in an argument via phone with her relentless senior partner. A meltdown ensues and she quits her job. Luckily, she knows a few of the fair workers through her cousin, Mitch.
Dex MacLean is the irresistible lead guitarist for The Kilts, a performing favorite Ren Faire band. Lulu’s being told he’s bad news, but she’s seeing something more. When Lulu takes a few weeks traveling with the fair, it becomes a journey to find herself and what’s really important in life.

Full review post on Instagram @on_a_sandbar

https://www.instagram.com/p/Cl1NThuLzVf/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

Well Traveled is the fourth book in the Well Met series by Jen DeLuca and is very well written & executed as a book overall.

Lulu is a workaholic attorney but while in North Carolina for work (of course), she feels the pull of the local Renfaire. So she goes and guess who she sees there? Stacy and the Dueling Kilts! She met them when she was visiting her cousin Mitch the summer before.

But while it’s great to know people when you’re at a place like Renfaire, Stacy also happens to witness Lulu’s major meltdown. Not only does she yell at her boss and quit her job, but she also throws her phone into a laundry tub of water. #relatable

This leads to a decision that will change her life forever. She’s going to go completely off the grid and travel with Stacy and The Dueling Kilts including the one and only Dex.

At first, Lulu could not be less impressed with him. His flirting does not work on her but she completely understands why it works on other women. She has eyes after all.

But the more she travels with the group, the more Dex opens himself up to her and she sees a side to him that no one has ever seen, she feels a connection she never would have expected. While he’s still flirty, he’s also kind, thoughtful, and helpful when given the chance.

But as Lulu starts to notice, people don’t give Dex a chance to prove himself. They just assume he can’t or won’t want to do certain things. She allows him to open up, seeks out his thoughts, opinions, and interests, and listens. Dex didn’t stand a chance lol!

As for Dex, he’s never met anyone like Lulu who sees him as more than just a good time. More than just a body and a good-looking face. He can’t help but be intrigued by her and soon, he realizes he might just have feelings for her.

Unfortunately, as they go from fair to fair, their time is quickly coming to an end. Lulu will be staying with Mitch and then getting back to her life. Unless the two decide they want to put their hearts out there and try for something more.

In my opinion, no one but Lulu could have made me like Dex. She is honest, blunt, and doesn’t take his crap. But she also brings out something in him that we never saw in the other books. It’s wonderful. Lulu’s point of view is really what makes this story. I loved getting to know her and getting to know Dex better.

I also loved seeing Lulu build relationships with Stacy and the other people she worked with at the fairs. I loved seeing her open up her mind to other ways of living. Whether it be tarot reading, crystals, or traveling in a caravan, as the story goes on, she becomes more and more open-minded and happy. She has made me want to buy a tarot deck of my own!

I also liked learning about Dex’s brothers, their relationships, and of course, MITCH! He tried to be protective of Lulu but that shit was not happening lol.

Well Traveled is a great addition to the Well Met series and further proves why I love it so much. I am giving it 4 out of 5 stars!

Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca is available now.

Thank you to NetGalley and Berkley for the free eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I had a number of serious reservations about Dex as a romance hero after his previous incarnation as a f*ckboi. His portrayal in previous books did nothing to endear me to him or give me much hope there was much there.

It became even harder to see after our reintroduction to Louisa, the burnt out litigation lawyer at the very moment of meltdown. I immediately wanted all the best things for Lulu and a hopeless flirt and player didn’t seem like a good option.

After a brief anxiety attack at Lulu’s meltdown in which she blew up her career and life and decides on a whim to join the Renaissance Faire as a travel companion to the Dueling Kilts band, I read this book in one sitting, completely unable to put it down.

A large part of me appreciated watching Lulu open herself up to the Faire and experiences. I enjoyed her shift from scornful skeptic to reluctant tarot reader, from constantly connected to entirely off-the-grid.

The romance arc was slower and far more subtle. I was nearly as surprised as Lulu when the romance began because the shift was so slow and gentle. Though, when it hit it was explosive.

In the end, I loved Lulu and Dex together. I loved the parent-pleasing over-achiever quitting her life and the one no one expects anything of stepping up.

The falling apart and coming back together was so incredibly heart-wrenching and even knowing a HEA was coming I was yelling at them to stop being so stupid because I was so invested in their happiness together.

I don’t often enjoy first-person narration but DeLuca has a way of writing that makes the reader able to connect deeply. Well Traveled is the type of sweet and hopeful so desperately needed right now.

I have adored this series from the very beginning, even though I'm the furthest thing from a Renaissance Faire goer, Jen Deluca's writing is (for lack of a better term) a bit magical throughout this series. She's made me love her world, her characters, their growth and everything in between...though I have to admit that this one did not hit the romance mark for me. This felt more like a growth story than a love story, wherein I was far more interested in where the future would take Lulu instead of where it was going to lead Lulu and Dex (you remember the boys' in kilts, right??). And while I did love the book simply for the fact that it took me back to Jen's little Faire world, and I enjoyed seeing Lulu come into her own, I didn't love that there wasn't much to the love story aspect. It didn't feel quite genuine until the very end. It was very much assumed, and I was hoping for more. Make no mistake though: I will read everything Jen writes in the future!

Have you ever been to a Renaissance Faire? I have never been to one but after reading all 4 books in this series, I am obviously an expert.

Well Traveled is the fourth installment of the Well Met series. This book centers around Lulu (Mitch’s cousin) who dramatically quits her job as an associate at a law firm and joins up with Stacy, Dex and the rest of the Dueling Kilts, working at various Faires. This was a sweet romcom without any of the heavier topics that were addressed in the previous books. While it was definitely mostly fluff, I loved being back in this Faire world with these characters who I have read about through the years with all of their quirk and witty banter. It is perfect escapism.

This review was originally posted on Books of My Heart


Review copy was received from NetGalley, Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

I've been really enjoying the Well Met series with its setting in renaissance faires. In each book, we meet more of the regular performers who travel the circuit of faires. One wouldn't have to read the series in order, but I do because of the character developments and knowing more about the supporting characters.

The couple here are characters we have met in previous books briefly. The main point of view is Lulu, or Louisa Malone. She is a lawyer and Mitch's cousin. Mitch is an institution at the Maryland Renfaire where the books started. But so is Dex, the playboy of the The Dueling Kilts group.

Lulu is tired of trying to please her parents and the old white men at the law firm where she has tried to make partner. She ends up taking a break. Her summer is one of self discovery and growth. She also meets Dex. Initially she is a bit antagonistic to the playboy, then they become friends and something more.

They seem unsuited with Lulu more serious and Dex, more relaxed and creative. But they are not what they seem. We don't get as much of Dex as it's from her point of view, but he is not the person people have thought he is. I enjoyed them learning each other and finding great solutions to what they each wanted in their lives when it seemed impossible.

Louisa "Lulu" Malone life revolves around one thing....work. Being a lawyer and trying to make partner doesn't leave much time for a normal life. When Lulu's cousin Mitch introduces her to the life of Renaissance Faires she enjoys the escape even for a little while. When Lulu's work life explodes, she decides to take a much needed break and spend the summer traveling with The Dueling Kilts who offer her a temporary job. What Lulu didn't expect was to be so drawn to Dex MacLean, the guitarist for the band. Knowing Dex is deemed the Casanova of the Faire, Lulu doesn't show her interest. After spending a few weeks with this eclectic group, Lulu sees a side of Dex that he doesn't show to anyone else and before you know it, these two are hooking up. As the summer comes to a close, Lulu know that she has to go back to her lawyer world, but she is just not sure can give Dex up. In a fun, surprising way, Lulu and Dex find the perfect answer to dilemma and get their happy ending.

I just loved Lulu and Dex's story. Dex was the perfect, misunderstood guy and he made Lulu see that there was more fun to life than just always working. Lulu also showed Dex that sometimes you do have to think about your future. Together these two just worked. I just adore this series and learning so much about the Renaissance Faire life.

I read Jen DeLuca’s book Well Met back in 2020, soon after I first joined Bookstagram. I loved the Ren Faire setting and Simon was a pretty swoon-worthy hero. I haven’t had a chance to read Well Played and Well Matched, but they are on my TBR. When Berkley sent me a copy of Well Traveled, I knew I’d enjoy jumping back into the Ren Faire world.

Lulu is a workaholic attorney who, while attending a Renaissance Faire, literally ditches her phone to escape her demanding boss. She’s introduced to Dex, a guitarist and ladies man who travels, performing at Ren Faires, with The Dueling Kilts. Dex is one of the guys who has a girl to hook up with everywhere he goes. Usually, I have a hard time rooting for this kind of hero but Jen DeLuca writes Dex in a way that he just melts your heart with his sincerity. He has a reputation as a player but he’s really a kind person who is loyal to those who loves. For example, my husband knows that bringing me coffee in the morning is the key to my heart, so when Dex does a coffee run, well, I was done for.
I guess you could call this a forced proximity/vacation romance. I really enjoyed the story as Dex & Lulu get to know each other and also the journey of self-discovery that Lulu goes through as she tries to figure out what she really wants out of her career. There are a lot of fun side characters, including MCs from previous books. Mitch (book 3) is her cousin who she calls when in need. Stacey (book 2) is the one who invites her to travel with them and introduces her to the work-side of Ren Faire life. Even Simon (book 1) makes an appearance. Although I’m personally not a believer in tarot cards, I enjoyed the fortune tellers and how they help Lulu reflect on her decisions. This book made me laugh and now I want to plan a trip to a Renaissance Faire!

Thanks to @berkleyromance for the #gifted book and to @PRHAudio for the free audiobook. All thoughts expressed are my own.