Tangled Up in You was a cute and sweet 'Tangled' retelling. Ren is an innocent 22 year old getting her first taste of freedom as a college student and Fitz is the popular guy on campus, but there is more to him. They end up on a road trip together that is quite the adventure. I had fun reading this and some of the moments on their trip had me laughing and smiling big. I enjoyed this one lots!

This was just a fun, light read and if you love the movie Tangled then you will definitely enjoy this modern take on it.

Ren has lived a very different life. She has lived on a homestead for as long as she can remember and was sheltered from a lot of things in the world. Now, she has some freedom while attending college. Fitz has his life planned out and has lived the complete opposite life as Ren. These two are complete opposites, yet I enjoyed seeing them together and seeing the bond and connection between them grow.

This is just one of those stories that you can get lost in and feel good about reading. It is a great summer read.

If you’re looking for a grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, roadtrip, slow burn romance check this one out.

If you love Disney and especially Tangled, then I definitely think you would enjoy this book. I thought the authors did a great job writing a contemporary retelling in a fun and believable way. Ren is so naive (with due cause) and they perfectly captured the spirit of Tangled as she encounters the world for the first time. Fitz is a great Flynn Ryder and I liked what they did with his backstory. The pacing is slow to medium for most of the book but kicks up at the very end with a mystery and some action. I also liked where they landed with the physical aspect of Ren and Fitz’s relationship. For the authors’ fan base, this one is going to deviate from all of the other books I’ve read by them but it fit the story and I’m glad I can recommend this one to closed door readers. The references to Clueless and the Goonies were also fun additions for this elder millennial reader.

I received an advanced copy of this book via NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

Content Notes: Makeouts

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC. I loved this--5 stars but not on GR because I reserve that for books that I love on a different level. At first the main character was cloyingly naive (but passable because Fitz expressed the same feelings). She quickly grew on me and I came to love her. I had a good idea that there was a twist coming and was pretty accurate in my guess, but no points docked for that because it allowed the story to grow beyond a perfect, fluffy rom-com.

Thanks to NetGalley for the arc!
I thought this was such a cute book! This was the first I’ve read by Christina Lauren and I will definitely look into more. I normally tend to lean towards more dark romance, but this was a quick, cheery and fun romance read to break up my normal. The storyline of a shelter girl from a homestead meeting a troubled boy at college and a road trip was a good one! I read this in one sitting and really enjoyed it!

Another adorable “Meant to Be” romantic story— the series of Disney/Hyperion books authored by well-known romance authors with definite aspects of those authors’ styles. Julie Murphy, writer of plus size romances, transformed Cinderella in “If The Shoe Fits.” Jasmine Guillory, a brilliant African American romance author, gave Beauty and the Beast its due with “By the Book,” and Zoraida Córdova added her pop rock obsession to a singing Ariel in “Kiss the Girl.” Now the romance writing team of Christina Lauren (Christina Hobbs and Lauren Billings) gets to change Rapunzel into a smart, but very sheltered Ren and transfer her to a college campus. (The next Disney-fied entry is for the guys: action hero author Alex Segura will give Bruno a new look in “Encanto: Nightmares and Sueños”.)

Not quite a YA book, this is still a modern fairy tale. The authors have a knack for inner monologues, so we get a delightful rendition of Ren, as well as the modern day action story of the discovery that Ren is actually a kidnapped child. I think all the Disney series authors have a lot of fun putting their signatures on these retellings. This will make a great beach book. 4 stars!

Literary Pet Peeve Checklist:
Green Eyes (only 2% of the real world, yet it seems like 90% of all fictional females): YES Ren, like Rapunzel in the movie, has enormous sparkly green eyes.
Horticultural Faux Pas (plants out of season or growing zones, like daffodils in autumn or bougainvillea in Alaska): NO I love Ren’s interpretation of fireworks as “flowerworks”.

Thank you to Hyperion Avenue/Disney Publishing and NetGalley for a free advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review!

I knew that this was a retelling of Rapunzel going into this book, but around halfway through it, I found myself questioning why I was reading this book when I could simply watch the movie Tangled. The source material is already so fantastic that I think Christina Lauren were up for a near impossible task, and this book definitely fell short to me. I feel like I never really got attached to Ren or Fitz.

This book also confronts an interesting dilemma for me, since we're dealing with college students and not animated characters - I found Ren to be incredibly infantilized given how sheltered she was growing up, and I was slightly uncomfortable with the so-called "play boy" in Fitz having an interest in her. I guess it just feels more real when it's painted in this scenario.

The plot itself follows the movie pretty closely, but I felt like the stakes felt so much lower throughout the book until all of a sudden there's an FBI raid that felt like in came out of nowhere; like, I understand the plot but it was a drastic tone shift that gave me pretty bad whiplash.

I hope every single character in this book is in intensive therapy as we speak.

This book was a very entertaining retelling of Rapunzel/ Tangled. I enjoyed all the Disney princess elements to it and found the characters very likable.

Ren has never left the area around the farm her parents live on until she starts attending college at age 22. While getting acclimated to her new life, she meets Fitz - and the two instantly are very annoyed with each other but clearly have some chemistry. When Ren decides she needs to go to Atlanta unexpectedly,

I felt like Ren's wide-eyed wonder at the world was very well written and maybe the naivety was mentioned a little too often. I did love her and wanted the best for her -- I was anxious for her being out in the world! I loved Fitz and thought their romance was very sweet -- loved seeing them become comfortable with each other and break down their emotional barriers.

I loved all the nods to Tangled -- it was as close to the story as it could be while also being a swoony rom com. The last quarter of the book was very tense and I couldn't put it down.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced copy of this book!

2.5 stars

My biggest wish for this Tangled retelling is that it had been written in the thriller genre rather than romance. The last 15% of the book where all the action happened was the best part, and it made me yearn for a thriller version of fairytale retellings.

The romance in this book felt uncomfortable at times. The naive, sunshine girl with the bad boy trope works well in a Disney movie, but not in an adult romance book. Ren came across as childlike, to the point where it felt weird watching the love story unfold. Also Ren was 22 years old but acted like she didn’t have any free will to leave her “parents.” It was such a plot hole.

If this was written as a YA book with the high school-aged characters, I think the story would’ve worked better and I would’ve liked it more.

Oh and third person romance books should be illegal!

Thank you to Hyperion Ave and NetGalley for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thanks to NetGalley for my gifted copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.
This is a cute retelling of Tangled. This story follows Ren. She is a breath of fresh air raised off the grid on a working farm. At 23, her parents finally allow her to go to school so she attends College. At Corona college she meets Fitz, most popular man on campus. Hilarity ensues as does a crazy road trip from Spokane to Nashville. Overall a cute story. Slowed down a little in the middle but had a HEA. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4.

This book was such a treat! Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for an advanced copy of the ebook because I had so much fun with it!

I am but a Disney nerd so I was so excited to read this Rapunzel/Tangled retelling and boy did it deliver. Ren and Fitz really embodied the characters I had already grown to love and I really appreciated the modernized version of the story. I also loved all the little nods to the movie.

This story appealed to my romance side but also my tense thriller side because, while avoiding spoilers, things were a bit hog wild there for a bit at the end!

All in all a solid read and a definite recommendation from me!

This was a delightful rom-com, and as a huge fan of the original Tangled movie, it truly did the source material justice.
As I mentioned, I am a huge fan of the movie Tangled; it's one of my comfort films I watch when I'm feeling down. Rapunzel is my favorite princess, Flynn my favorite prince. So when I heard that rom-com royalty Christina Lauren was writing a modern retelling of it? Immediately knew I needed to read ASAP. Of course I immediately requested an e-arc of it.
And I was not disappointed in terms of a retelling. There were so many little easter eggs and nods back to the movie, I did a little excited jump and squeal whenever I caught one. I have a few favorites, but I won't list them here as part of the fun of this book is finding all of those references. *Insert Captain America "I KNOW THAT REFERENCE" meme here* Ren just exudes Rapunzel's fun and energetic vibes, while Fitz perfectly matches Flynn's brooding bad-boy exterior hiding a softy interior. (and yes. don't worry, he does do the smolder ;) )
I really enjoyed my time reading this and think that it did a great job reimagining the original story, but I think it does stand well on its own as well. The only reason I'm knocking off one star is because there is one plot point that seems a bit far fetched, and you really need to know the original story to have the believe-ability of it. It got super dramatic super fast, and didn't seam together perfectly with the lightheartedness of the rest of the story.

Overall I had a fantastic time reading this and can't wait to get my own copy after release day!

A contemporary reimagining of the story of Rapunzel and Flynn Rider from Disney's very charming Tangled with Christina Lauren at the helm? Yes, please!

Though the overarching story here is very familiar, Christina and Lauren clearly had a ton of fun interpreting the tale for a modern-day romance audience. Here, we're introduced to Ren, a brilliant, beautiful woman in her 20s who has been raised off the grid and is heading into the world on her own for the first time to attend university, and Fitz, a heartthrob with a whole lot riding on graduating at the top of his class. After Fitz decides he will very pointedly not be won over by Ren's wide-eyed innocence and enthusiasm for the world like the rest of the student body, he finds himself competing with her—and failing miserably—and then blackmailed into giving her a ride across the country after she learns some life-changing information about her family.

While the plot beats here line up pretty perfectly with the film, Christina Lauren infuse the story with contemporary romance touches (a road trip! only one bed! rivals to lovers! he falls first!) and continue raising the stakes throughout the book, creating a bit of mystery and providing swoons as they go.

Though Tangled Up In You isn't completely reinventing the wheel, it's a very fun take on Tangled that's a quick and satisfying read for romance lovers.

I’m a pretty big fan of both Christina Lauren and Disney (Tangled being one of my faves) so I was obviously excited to read this one!

It is honestly very cheesy but it works since it is a Disney remake. It followed the Tangled storyline so precisely that I had trouble envisioning the characters as non cartoons!
It was a very cute and ridiculous book that I enjoyed even though it was so over the top.


I think if you like Disney you will enjoy reading the latest installment of the Meant To Be series. It isn’t Christina Lauren’s best work but they understood the assignment. 3.5 rounded up.

Thank you NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you Hyperion Avenue and Netgalley for providing me with an e-copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Y’all I am obsessed with this!! Tangled is one of my all time favoueite Disney films and this book captured its essence perfectly while still standing strong as its own contemporary romance.

Ren was an absolute delight. She was naive but intelligent, uncertain but brave, sheltered but outgoing. Her wide-eyed curiosity and friendliness made me love her instantly, just the way everyone she came into contact with did.

Except Fitz. And god, I loved how much Fitz was annoyed by her at the start. It made the way he softened towards her until he was falling for her so much more delicious to read. I especially loved the transition from Fitz to Edward, the way their growing trust and his change was reflected in the text that way.

I loved their relationship. I always love a road trip story and this one was just so stupidly sweet. Obviously, being a fan of Tangled, I knew where the plot was headed, but parts of it still managed to take me by surprise which was awesome.

I definitely recommend this if you’re looking for a light, fluffy romance read.

“Tangled Up In You” immediately pulled me into the story, which rarely happens with romance novels. Christina Lauren’s writing style is fun and engaging, as always. I was a little hesitant going into this one, but the execution of a Tangled-inspired contemporary rom-com was perfect!

For those who love:
💟 Tangled
💟 Grumpy/Sunshine
💟 Opposites Attract
💟 College Setting
💟 Road Trip
💟 Quest
💟 Only One Bed

Many thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Christina Lauren's "Tangled Up In You" delivers a compelling love story set against the backdrop of New York City. The plot follows Ava and Michael as they navigate their intertwined pasts and uncertain futures.
The story is a blend of romance and unexpected twists, keeping the reader engaged without feeling rushed. Ava and Michael are well-developed characters with relatable struggles and insecurities. They have really strong chemisty, making their journey all the more captivating.
"Tangled Up In You" is a heartwarming read that will appeal to fans of contemporary romance. It's a story about second chances and embracing the present moment. I highly recommend it for anyone looking for a charming and relatable love story.

I adored this book. Told in alternating POV between Ren and Fitz.

First we have Ren, who has lived a somewhat sheltered life. She has been homeschooled her entire life. Has not had accessible technology etc, At 22 years old, her parents are "allowing" her to attend University, under many conditions. Ren starts to come in to her own after she leaves home. She is brilliant in the academic world, but not in life skills.

Fitz, the perceived "golden boy" has his own agenda. Graduate and move onto law school.
An unexpected road trip will pull Ren and Fitz together.

This was a quick read with a couple of unexpected turns. This will make a great beach read!

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for my copy.

A modern-day nod to the Rapunzel fairytale, Tangled is a sweet, absorbing story. This combination romance/escape thriller explores themes of identity, revenge, the ethics of genetic research, the downsides of modern technology and social media, and what truly makes a family. I love how the main characters, Ren and Fitz, seemingly so disparate a couple, grow to appreciate and then love each other as they adjust to life on the run. The gradual revelation of the truth about the parents of each character, and the danger of trusting the wrong people, add tension to the story. The pacing is just right, the relationship develops believably, the climax is suspenseful, and the conclusion is satisfying; altogether this is an entertaining read.

I'm a huge Christina Lauren fan AND Disney princess fan, so I had some pretty high hopes for this book. This book was by far my favorite in this series. I loved finding all the little Easter eggs like Ren's cat's name is Pascal. There's a frying pan scene. Fitz talks to his car and treats it like a baby just like Flynn would with his horse. I feel like there were some Cinderella vibes in this story also with Ren having to do a ton of chores all the time.

Ren is very naïve and inexperienced when she sets off to college. She excels in every class she takes and makes friends with everyone (even the janitor). Part of me thinks she should have struggled a little more with this transition, but she is so loveable that it didn't bother me too much. I do love a grumpy/sunshine pairing with characters and this book doesn't disappoint with this dynamic. Ren slowly melts Fitz's hardened heart full of revenge to take down his father's business.

Part of me loved how Ren loved to shop at secondhand stores because I also love finding great deals there. BUT while Edward and Ren were on their road trip, they would stop and buy a few clothes items. THEN they would put them on without washing them first! This is a HUGE no-no for me. Please wash your secondhand clothes first everyone!

Now if you are also a Christina Lauren fan, you are used to their steamy scenes. I will say that this book is only rated PG-13, so don't expect much else besides kissing. I'm a fan of forced proximity, and Fitz & Ren were forced into one hotel room every night for almost a week. I was expecting a few more temptations between the two as the nights went on, but I still appreciated the clean read.