I love and adore Christina Lauren books! I have never read one I did not enjoy. However, this was one I just did not get into. I love all fairytale stories and loved the idea of this being a modern retelling of Rapunzel. Having read Christina Lauren before I was not expecting this to be so slow. I did enjoy some of the banter between Ren and Fitz. To me it read more YA and I think that is where I had a problem. I was hoping for something more adult and it seemed a bit immature. I understand that it was most likely intentional because of Rens character. For me personally, it was too immature for my taste.

Ren is a freshman in college. It’s is her first time in school…ever. Oh, and she is 22. She has lived on a homestead with her parents and really has no life experience. She is super smart, but has never used the internet, doesn’t have a cell phone, and has never really had a friend. When she makes an unexpected discovery she ends up nana roadtrip with the campus hottie, Fitz. He isn’t thrilled about this, but slowly Ren’s zest for life starts to wear him down. Their impending love story is wild and precious.

Ok, let me start out by saying I don’t love Disney. So when I found out this was a retelling of Tangled I wasn’t sold I would live it. However, it’s a modern day version so well done that you don’t even really think of Disney. I loved everything about it!

I could not have asked for better travel companions than Ren and Fitz, cause when people say that books transport you to different places, Tangled Up in You is the perfect example of that. Whether I'd be standing in a 2 hour wait for a popular restaurant or chilling at a cafe, reading about Ren and Fitz's own travels and experiences made the mundane moments of my trip just a little more exciting. Especially seeing things through Ren's optimistic gaze, her high-on-life-and-discoveries energy made all the everyday things that we forget to appreciate seem all the more special, and isn't that the loveliest thing ever?

While Ren was having the time of her life on that road trip, it was also fascinating seeing Fitz (aka the mysterious golden boy with a mission) and his agenda unravel. Each layer that Ren peels back from him allows us the opportunity to see him at his core and it's impossible not to adore the person he truly is, once you know his story. We're right with Ren falling for him.

Was a Christina Lauren Tangled retelling in my 2024 bingo card? Nope, but as a fan of the Meant to Be books, I can say this was a wonderful addition to the collection, one that is fateful to the theme while also having the CLo touch that we love. Tangled Up in You is a delight of a book that will have your tooth aching from sweetness, knuckles white from gripping the book so hard trying to figure out the mystery, and eyes sparkling from basking in Ren's road trip glow. This was another hit from CLo and I'm already itching for my next fix from the incredible duo.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this fun novel. Christina Lauren’s Tangled Up in You is a delightful and heartwarming read that perfectly captures the essence of contemporary romance. The chemistry between the characters is electric, and their witty banter adds a delightful spark to the story. With its engaging plot and well-developed characters, this novel offers a perfect blend of humor and emotional depth. Christina Lauren’s signature charm shines through, making this book a charming and memorable addition to the romance genre.

Ren is brilliant and loves learning. She's finally convinced her parents to allow her to leave their homestead to attend college, though at 22. They have many rules for her, claiming it's to prevent the evils of the world from changing and hurting her, but at Corona College she feels freedom for the first time and consents to a school assignment that sends her dna to a database where it matches her to her biological father. Shocked the father she grew up with is not her biological one, she is desperate for answers and opportunity presents itself when a classmate is going across country nearby her biological father's address. It helps she can blackmail said classmate for a ride.

Fitz is the golden boy of Corona College with his charm, looks, intelligence, and wealthy family. No one knows Fitz is adopted, a juvenile delinquent, and needs graduate the top of every class to get a letter of rec to law school from the judge that sentenced him (one step in his ultimate revenge plot). When Ren suddenly tops the class (it doesn't help he is distracted by her presence), he desperately tries to change his grade and is caught by the very girl he finds naive and beautiful and able to see through him.

As they embark on a cross-country roadtrip, the attraction they both feel for each other grows and they begin to open up to each other in ways they never have to anyone else.

Reading and knowing the story made it both better and more frustrating lol. Especially because it was so quickly apparent that Ren's "parents" were incredibly toxic (grrrrrr). I was curious how the authors would flip the story to modern day context and I think they did a great job and hit all the beats so well compared to the movie.

My heart was so full everytime Fitz called her "Sunshine" and just generally loved how the both immediately fell so fast and so hard <3

Thank you to Netgalley and Hyperion Avenue for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Feat: modern disney au, mystery, closed door romance, dual POV, only one bed, roadtrip romance

(slight spoiler, but I miss Eugene.)

Sometimes CLo hits for me, and sometimes they miss. This is a hit. Tangled is my favorite Disney movie, so i had high expectations going into this, but they captured the magic of everyone's favorite moments, sprinkled them with the world's best tropes, and out came this cozy hug of a book. I sat down and read this cover to cover on a lazy Sunday.

If you’re a Disney Princess fan - the Meant to Be series is for you. And for the fourth installment, we readers get to fall in love with Rapunzel and Eugene in a new, enchanting story set in the real world.

Ren grew up isolated on a homestead, and finally convinced her parents to let her attend Corona College. She meets Fitz - whiz kid with a sordid criminal past, trying to wipe his slate clean. In their immunology class, an assignment sparks a road trip, and the story unfolds from there.

This retelling holds true to the story Disney originally told, but the modern day and real world twists were done perfectly. Even knowing how the story would end, reading this made me laugh, cheer, tear up, and panic at all the right moments. I devoured this book and throughout it all I could not help but relive the movie scenes in my mind. Such a fun read - I highly recommend.

I love Christian Lauren’s books because they’re over the top and funny and full of love able characters. Tangled Up in You wasn’t my favorite though; it was too over the top for me. It was a little ridiculous and really unbelievable. I had trouble connecting to Ren because her upbringing was so different from mine, and I can’t remember the love interest’s name.

I think this would be a fun audiobook to listen to while cleaning and driving because it doesn’t take a lot of thought to read lol.

Ren is a modern-day Rapunzel. She has never held an iPhone, Googled the answers to questions, or followed a crush on social media, but she's hella smart! She's taught herself to paint, built a wind power system from scratch, and even learned written Mandarin! She earns the opportunity to attend college and gains not only an academic education, but whole lot of real-world experience along the way.

Fitz is a juvenile delinquent who is now at the top of his class hoping to get his criminal record wiped clean after making a deal with the judge. He takes a road trip to Nashville to secure a spot at a law firm and takes Ren along with him. He learns a lot about himself and learns to open up to those who matter most.

I could not put this book down! It was such an adventure and I was here for it! I loved the naivety of Ren as a modern-day Rapunzel, but she definitely wasn't dumb or ditzy. When presented with new information, she didn't make the same mistake twice, but definitely thought things out, which you don't always see in other romance books. Fitz was also a great character and I loved seeing them together. The action at the end also had me on the edge of my seat.

Content warnings:
-child abduction
-death of a parent
-police raid and gunfire
-death by gunfire
-blackmail
-emotional and financial abuse
-grief

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the opportunity to read an Advanced Reader's Copy (ARC) in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

While definitely a departure for my faves, Christina Lauren, I was not the least bit disappointed. Tangled up in you had several compelling themes, engaging characters and a satisfying new adult romantic suspense plot line. Loved it! And I say that as apparently one of the few readers who knows nothing about Disney’s Tangled. I hope to remedy that soon.

4.5
I'll admit I went into this slightly skeptical, I adore Christina Lauren but am always hesitant to pick up retellings. As a massive Christina Lauren Fan and a massive Tangled fan "Tangled Up In You" did not disappoint at all! I couldn't put it down.I highly recommend it if youre looking for something fun, adorable with a dash of angst! it all around was almost a perfect retelling however my only complaint is that I would've enjoyed a more fleshed out ending/epilogue than what we received.

3.5 ⭐️

Tangled Up In You was a sweet retake on Disney’s Tangled. I wish I had held onto the connection to Tangled as I read it but when writing this review, it came back to me and the little details connecting the characters and plot to Tangled were very fun!

Focusing on the first half of the book, Ren, a sheltered, excitable girl from a homestead begins college and meets Ren, a seamingly popular and wealthy guy, who gives her a tour around campus. They end up taking a cross country road trip together, both with their own ambitions. I loved Ren and Fitz as characters. Christina Lauren did a great job with these subplots for these two and I really found myself caring about them as individuals!

The plot is so fun and I love a good road trip story! However, the downfall I had with this book was towards the end of the book. The story really takes a turn from young adult to action. I found the twist to be a bit much and kind of got distracted from the deeper subplots happening by all of the action.

Overall though, I would recommend this book as it was a well written, easy read with likeable, sometimes cheese, interesting characters! Just don’t forget that it’s based on Tangled and it’ll be even more fun :)

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review ❤️

I could not put Tangled Up In You by Christina Laurent. The retelling of Tangled was so ingenious and exciting, taking the story to a wonderfully mature version of Tangled with lots of heat between Ren and Fitz. The slow burn was enchanting, and I couldn't wait for the mystery to be revealed. Mentally, I compared this story with the Disney film version and appreciated the elevated storyline and romance. One of the top versions of the Meant to Be series.
Thank you to the publisher, Netgalley, and the authors for this exciting book.

A very cute and fun retelling of Rapunzel! Was it flawless or the best writing that I've read in years? No, but I read it in a day I was so into the story and it made me want to watch Tangled after I finished to keep reliving it so I would say that in that way it was a success! Very close retelling with a few new details.

Okay but when Christina Lauren said they were writing a Tangled remake…I was stoked! I absolutely love Tangled and was so happy this was one of the remakes in this series 😍

While I obviously knew the premise of this, this one started out a little weird and I was like what is happening? But as you read it really all makes sense. And I really enjoyed this retelling.

Ren and Fitz. I loved how they learned from each other. I loved watching the mask drop from Fitz and Ren discover the world. There were definitely heavier topics discussed than I expected but it really worked for the story!

I’m late to the game on this one and it’s out now. Thank you netgalley and the publisher for my copy. All opinions are my own.

This was such a cute read! Tangled is one of my fave Disney movies and Christina Lauren is an auto-buy writing duo so I had high expectations. And they delivered!

Tangled Up In You was true to the original story and was adapted well to a modern setting. I thought bringing Ren to a college campus after living a remote, home-schooled life was a unique approach. She had all the naïveté of Rapunzel and I loved her wholesome curiosity.

Fitz was a spot-on recreation of Flynn Ryder - complete with his signature smolder and swagger. So swoony!

Overall, this was a great read and I will look for future adaptions in the Meant to Be series.

Thank you to NetGalley, Hyperion Avenue and Christina Lauren for an early review copy. These are my honest thoughts.

Cute!! This was such a cute romance, I loved the characters and the storyline. Would recommend to all my romance friends.

A Christina Lauren retelling of Tangled? Sign me up. Ren, a VERY sheltered teenager, convinces her super strict parents to go to college. While she has no real life experience, she is incredibly book smart and is intriguing to all of her classmates, including Fitz. When what should have been a simple assignment suddenly changes both of their lives, the two find themselves on a road trip that might alter their lives forever.

The Disney retellings in the Meant To Be series keep getting better and better and this was incredible. While this didn’t have Christina Lauren’s signature spice (it IS Disney after all) it had so many of their other great characteristics. There was depth and adventure, clear chemistry, and the book was a lot of fun to read. There were even a few surprises along the way. This was definitely a cute read!

Thank you to Leo PR, Disney Books, and NetGalley for the gifted copy.

I have to admit I have a soft spot for fairy tale retellings so I was excited for this one. I have enjoyed several of the other Meant to Be series all done by different authors and I like Christina Lauren. I thought this sweet story was funny and entertaining. I will admit I couldn’t have imagined how someone could put Rapunzel into our modern world, there aren’t a lot of girls living in towers these days, but this was perfect. And seeing Ren experience the world for the first time with her endless enthusiasm was wonderful. I also liked the motivations behind Fitz for being a jerk for the first part of the book. Ren grew up on her parents’ homestead being homeschooled and pretty isolated from the world. She is 22 and applied to college and received a full scholarship so her parents reluctantly agree to let her go as long as she follows a lot of rules meant to keep her away from society and the internet. Fitz is a senior at that same college who is charming but distant from people. They are determined to hate each other, but not strong enough to make it happen.

As always, Christina Lauren shine while bringing us a story full of emotional tension, swooning, and grinning ear to ear. They manage to balance the weight of both characters’ backstories with the joy found in rooting for the characters to have their HEA.