Super adorable Tangled retelling. Ren is a country bumpkin who was raised on a remote farm with her parents and just now being allowed to go to college. She’s adorably innocent and naive and outperforms everyone in school because of her book knowledge and hard working nature. This proves to be annoying and intimidating for Fitz, who is the smoldering campus heart throb with a his own untarnished reputation. However, he’s hiding some secrets of his past and future goals and has no interest in befriending Ren. When a classroom activity has Ren submitting her DNA for an ancestry test, she’s shocked to find a parental connection to someone who is not the father who raised her. She somehow cons Fitz to drive her most of the way across the country in order to meet this mysterious stranger. Along the way, Ren and Fitz slowly build a connection with each other, which was sweet and fun to read. We get all sorts of drama when we uncover the truth about Ren’s family history. And we get to see Fitz be an amazingly supportive guy along the way. Loved it. An absolute delight.

✔️ Retelling
✔️ Grumpy/Sunshine
✔️ Road Trip
✔️ One Bed

Tangled is one of my favorites Disney movies and one I watched repeatedly when my kid was young so I know it by heart. This book was a perfect retelling, capturing all the magic from the source material while also being an engrossing and stellar story on its own.

The characters of Ren and Fitz are so fun together; their banter was top tier - hilarious and flirty and withwowzers chemistry that leaps off the page.

There were so many moments I loved
- The callbacks to objects/characters from the movie that didn't make it directly into the books (these were delightfully surprising and fun)
- I had cartoon hearts floating out of my eyes seeing Fitz fall for her slowly and being straight up delighted by her sunshiney-ness
- Ren's optimism and bubbly personality
- Every single moment of the road trip
- Every single moment of Ren's birthday
- The hotel pool and hot tub

Til now, if asked what my favorite retelling was, I'd say something Pride and Prejudice related. But now, it's this - Tangled Up in You was the most fun read and one that will have you squealing and kicking your feet up in the air, it is so cute.

While not a spicy read, I have to give it to CLo who were able to infuse steam in some really excellent kissing and make-out scenes.

An enthusiastic 5⭐️!

Steam 🔥
Banter 🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️🗣️
Swoon 💕💕💕💕💕

Wow, just wow. This was so much different and heavier than I thought it would be and I loved it. Two people striving to find their way in the world, find each other and everything they never knew they needed or wanted. Fitz has had a lifetime of disappointment. Never good enough for anyone and never really being loved. He has a game plan and he is on the road to getting to destination he has planned. Ren grew up off the gird with her seemingly loving parents finally gets to learn about the world who she applies and is accepted into college, never having had any type of traditional schooling. She is a genius and finally convinced her parents to let her go. When she asks for help (okay, kind of blackmails in the funniest way) they head off on a life altering journey, both literally and figuratively. They are so different and yet they not only save themselves, but save each other. A terrific love story also includes child abduction, finding family, creating one, and a whole lot of love.

Thank you to Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for the eGalley to review!

Straight up, this is just an official modern/college alternate universe (AU) fic for Disney's Tangled. In non-fandom terms, that means it is a loose retelling of the movie set in modern times and starts off in a college, with more mature themes (swearing, alcohol, talk of sex, sexual scenes, etc.). It's not much deeper than that--it's legitimately just an attempt at making a more adult, modern version of the original story but with every human's name changed, additional characters added, and a setting now in the United States. (By the way, Pascal is a cat and Max is a 1970 Mustang car! So that's fun!)

Rapunzel (now Ren) meets Eugene/Flynn (now Edward/Fitz) in college (after Ren begs and begs and begs to go) and a DNA sequencing unit in their shared immunology class sets them off on their adventure. Most of the core plot points from the original are there--Ren has been isolated all her life, she meets someone from the outside world who can bring her to her goal, Edward/Fitz doesn't initially like her and tries to scare or guilt her off (yes, the bar scene is there and still fun), Gothel (now Gloria) encourages Ren to come home right at the most important leg of her journey, and Edward/Fitz has to rescue her. We're even treated to many of the iconic lines from the original, making some story beats line up where they should. Our romance is the same and it is still so sweet that my heart is so full reading about them falling in love again.

Yet if you were to ask even me--a Tangled fan who was so obsessed with it that they have consumed every piece of media about it to an excessive degree--I could not fathom who most of the other characters are supposed to be. I thought for sure Ren's college dorm mate, Miriam, was supposed to be Cassandra from the Tangled Ever After series, but I still can't confirm it. Everywhere our main lovebirds go is a real life place in the United States, except for the only place that retains a name from the original: Corona College. Even relationships aren't the same (it's not just Gloria who's raising Ren, it's also some man named Steve!), so when I say a "loose retelling", I mean it--if you're looking for a one-to-one, closely related script that just gets a new setting and some occasional modern upgrades, your best bet is with an actual fanfic on the Internet.

But I still enjoyed the story for what it is, even with the parts that were sadly lacking. It's a great new adult romance for those who aren't familiar with the source material, and a fun and cheeky new official bit of storytelling for fans of the original that would love to see Rapunzel and Eugene fall so sweetly in love all over again in a fresh way. It's going into my personal Tangled collection, that's for sure.

Fun and funny, but with a serious turn, this imaginative retelling features a grumpy/sunshine cast, a mysterious past, and a simple happy ending. I think you’ll love the banter, the goofy vibes and the surprisingly complex characters.

Story ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice 🌶️

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for my copy. These opinions are my own.

Ok, I didn’t love this at first. I didn’t care for Ren and her family and Fitz was a jerk. I also thought the whole retelling of Tangled was super cheesy. But as the story kept on I actually wound up really enjoying it. I wound up loving Fitz by the end and rooting for him and REN and new beginnings.

When I heard that Christina Lauren had written a modern retelling of Tangled, and that Disney was involved, I knew I needed to read it. This book has everything you loved in Tangled but modernized. It has a sheltered female main character, and a bad boy male main character. It has a road trip. It has a trusty steed… I mean car…that is its own character. It has a sketchy bar full of rough looking bikers. It has the evil mother character. It has blackmail and it has suspense. It even has mention of a cast iron skillet.

At the heart of this retelling is the delightful chemistry between Ren and Fitz. I adored their journey. I enjoyed that often times on their journey there was only one bed and that only sometimes did someone sleep on the floor. This book is a slow burn, low spice romance, and instead of an epilogue it has a quick one sentence wrap up that was actually everything I wanted, and is just like the last line of Tangled.

This is the fourth installment of of Disneys "Meant To Be" series, that consists standalone stories of movie re-tellings written by popular authors. I've read two of the previous ones and really enjoyed them despite not being the biggest fan of the original movies/stories... so considering Rapunzel is one of my favorite Disney princesses, my expectations for this one were pretty high.

Christina Lauren did a pretty good job at making this their own story without straying away from the original plot of the story too much. I'd say it was pretty medium-paced with a few parts that were a bit repetitive and boring, which is the main reason I'm choosing to give this 4 stars. I do think it needs a bit more banter to fit Rapunzel/Flynn Rider a bit better. But, otherwise I did really enjoy this light-hearted read.

This would totally be the perfect YA read for someone who is on the edge of growing out of princesses but still wants to enjoy that style of story.

Christina Lauren can do no wrong in my eyes, everything I have read from them has been a certified banger & Tangled Up In You is no exception. The plot was good, the references were great but not so overly done that you're rolling your eyes.
Overall I enjoyed the characters the most - 4.25 Stars!

For grown-up readers who still love a good fairy tale, Tangled Up in You may not be new or surprising, but it’s sweet and funny and enjoyable—a lovable choice for your next trip to the pool.

Full review published on NightsAndWeekends.com and aired on Shelf Discovery.

This is the first clo book I really didn’t enjoy. It didn’t even seem like their normal writing. There was something just off about this book and it’s hard to pinpoint what it even was. I didn’t enjoy the 3rd person narration. And while it is a retelling of rapunzel, the FMC was a bit too naive which got old after awhile.

If Christina Lauren writes it... I'm going to read it!

Disney + Romance reading fans everywhere will LOVE this fun retelling of the classic Rapunzel story.

Ren has lived her entire life off the grid, with her parents on their homestead. Desperate for a taste of the real world, and further education... Ren lands herself a scholarship to a college! While there... she encounters many life altering things - including none other than the highly esteemed Fitz.

Fitz is the campus golden boy. As the son of one of the top donors of the school, and top of his class rankings - no one else seems to be a better fit to show Ren around campus upon her arrival (according to the dean). The only problem is.... Ren threatens everything that he has been working so hard to build.

In a wild chance encounter, Ren lands herself some blackmail on Fitz - and uses it to tag along on a road trip to Nashville... hoping to uncover some answers to burning questions she has. And when sparks fly... who knows what dreams may come true?

I LOVED every single moment of this one! I also experienced the audiobook version, along with the ebook and LOVED the narration on this as well. The fun easter eggs in nod to the Disney movie - Tangled, the new additions that made you giggle, and the romance that built up in the modern setting truly made this a fun 2024 summer must read.

Read if you love:
-Retellings
-Road Trips
-Clean Romance
-LOL moments
-Found Family
-College
-Enemies to Lovers
-Blackmail schemes
-Grumpy/Sunshine

Turns out I don't think I love Flynn Ryder type of guys as much as the movie Tangles led me to believe. It was still cute at points and I liked the differences the retelling had, but just wasn't my fave.

At first I felt like this book was a little awkward and cringey but I think that is kind of the point of the characters and the romance truly does get better! By the end of the book I was in love with how the author weaves in details of what I loved in the movie Tangled and yet still made it more realistic. The subtle nods to Tangled were really great. By the end I ultimately struggled the most with how naive and young the characters felt, especially for Fitz being almost done with college.

When I first picked up this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. The story gradually grew on me, despite my initial confusion. As I continued reading, everything started to make sense, leading to a satisfying conclusion.

Throughout the book, I couldn't help but notice parallels to a familiar story, reinterpreted in a modern context. It was surprising to discover that the book was indeed a modern retelling of this classic tale. The author's reimagining added a fresh perspective that kept me engaged and intrigued.

What impressed me the most was how the book explored contemporary themes through its characters and plot. The characters were well-developed and relatable, and their journeys kept me invested in their outcomes. Each chapter revealed new layers to their personalities and motivations, making the story both compelling and enjoyable.

In conclusion, this book turned out to be a pleasant surprise. It took a traditional narrative and gave it a modern twist, delivering a story that was both familiar and innovative. If you enjoy stories that reimagine old tales in fresh and thought-provoking ways, I would definitely recommend giving this book a read.

ARC provided by Publisher in exchange for an honest review.

"These aren’t very fun rules.”
“You’re blackmailing me. I’m not going to make this trip enjoyable.”
“I told you I feel bad about that.”

I would like to thank Hyperion Avenue and NetGalley for the copy of this eARC. Tangled was a very new style to Disney in terms of storytelling and humor, and I feel this was also a new adventure for Christina Lauren.

It's not a bad book. It was perfectly average for a contemporary romance and I mean that with all my love, because I would still listen to it again. So why three stars? The moments that really stood out to me, that had me laughing out loud and that I truley loved, were all too wound up in how you could trace their footsteps back to quotes from the movie. I feel like seeing that recreation had me more excited than what I was reading in the frist place.

I think I would've loved this so much more and rated higher if I haven't seen tangled as many times as I have. The modern way in which she pulled the key elements were very well done, especailly with Wren's kidnaping, but I left the ending looking for the "Why" of her being taken.

It's explained as they saw a single dad struggling, but it didn't really hit with me. I feel like it wasn't a strong enough reason to drive a couple to steal a child, abandon the modern world and change their identies. A more compelling argument to me would've been her mother convincing her self Wren was a child she had lost. To me to have a good villain you still need to emphasize with them a little bit. While you don't agree, you should be able to see where a villain is coming from, and understand that they think that what they are doing is right or the only option.

If you love disney, and especailly Tangled, I say read it. judge for yourself, because I had a great time. But In a sea of my 3.5 star ratings recently for Contemporary Romance, I just wish this one went a little bit farther for me.

I liked this one a lot. Knowing it was going to be based off Tangled made me request it. I have actually only seen that particular Disney movie one time, and I immediately fell in love.

I would have to say this book is LOOSELY based on the movie. While I was expecting lots of love and heart eyes knowing this was based on a Disney Princess, I think the insta-love was a little too much for me.

Overall, super cute, super sweet, and no explicit spice. Definitely a great summer read.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion for an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Christina Lauren will always be an autobuy duo author for me and this book is just another example as to why.

This book contained the fairytale elements of Rapunzel/Tangled with a fictional twist on Tara Westover’s memoir, Educated. And I couldn’t put it down for a single second.

Going into this one, I was intrigued by how Christina Lauren would go about their reimagining…how to make this story maintain the elements of Tangled without the actual magic. And the way they managed to do it honestly blows my mind. It’s unique, it’s clever, and it’s everything I never knew I wanted in this story.

Think about it… how would you explain an adult who doesn’t fully understand how the world operates? Who has never used technology, doesn’t pick up on sarcasm, and sticks out like a sore thumb when she finally has the chance to go to school for the first time in her life?

The way CLo captured Ren’s intelligence, her daring nature, her kind heart, and her innocence was magical in its own right, and I cannot get enough.

Each book in this series can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading them all because, if you enjoy reimaginings, it’ll be fully worth it. Promise. OH and Jesse Q. Sutanto is writing book five…a reimagining of Mulan!!

“He’d wanted to touch many women in his life. But he’d never so badly wanted to deserve one before.”

Read if you like:
- Survivor stories
- Raised off the grid
- Flawed hero
- Innocent yet daring FMC
- Tangled + Rapunzel
- Fairytale reimaginings

Because Rapunzel and Flynn Rider’s story is one of my all-time favorites, I worried about how it’d be approached in the Meant to Be series. Powers don’t exist, we’re in the real world, so what’s the story here? How is it going to feel honest yet warm when the story’s narrative is relatively dark? And of all the ways that the adaptation could’ve gone, Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren is nothing short of brilliant—warm, clever, sharp, deeply soft, and wholeheartedly vulnerable in a way that had me sobbing during the entirety of the last few chapters.

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the advance reader copy.

FULL REVIEW: https://marvelousgeeksmedia.com/2024/06/27/tangled-up-in-you-by-christina-lauren-review/

How can you not want to read a book that has a 1965 Mustang on the cover? I learned to drive in that car. This story is a retelling of the Disney movie "Tangled" and I tried very hard not to let that influence me. I loved seeing the world through Ren's sheltered eyes and how she reacted to everything that was beyond her experience growing up on an isolated homestead in Idaho. The girl had a lot of grit. From the beginning I found her relationship with her parents to be very strange and didn't like the one-dimensional portrayal they were given, but after all they were the villains in this fairy tale story. Fitz was a great character who has tremendous growth during the story. I wasn't found of the long navel gazing sections, I'm a more action-oriented reader. The climax of the story was a surprise and full of the action I love.

Ren Gylden is crazy smart. Living on an isolated homestead in Idaho, she and her parents had to be self-sufficient, and Ren devoured every book in the county library system. She was self-taught and quite the mechanical wiz. Her dream was to go to college, which at 22, was a desire her parents firmly disapproved of. They wanted to keep her down on the farm with them, only them. That wasn't Ren's desire at all. She was ready to see that the world beyond her homestead was really like.

A full ride scholarship to Corona College in Spokane, Washington is Ren's entry to that world. Meeting Fitz Fitzsimmons was her first experience with a handsome, smug, rich jerk. Fitz had a carefully constructed facade to mask his past, but Ren managed to sneak underneath it with her exuberant personality and beautiful long, long blond hair. And her crazy smart brain. During an immunology seminar a test sends them both careening in a direction neither expected to go. A road trip leads them both to discoveries about themselves and each other and new directions and relationships. 3 1/2-Stars

My thanks to the Publisher and Author for providing a complimentary digital Advanced Reader Copy (ARC) of this novel via NetGalley. This is my fair, honest and personal review. All opinions are mine alone and were not biased in any way.