The chemistry between the protagonists is electric, and their banter is full of the wit and warmth that Christina Lauren fans have come to expect. The emotional stakes are high, with both characters navigating past hurts and personal insecurities, making their eventual connection feel hard-earned and deeply satisfying.

I really enjoyed how clever this book was. I thought the ties to the real movie/story were really fun. It was sweet, fast paced and I loved both of the main characters. Would recommend for any Disney fan!

Tangled Up In You is the fourth book in the A Meant To Be series and can be enjoyed as a standalone. This modern-day retelling of Rapunzel is inspired by the Disney film Tangled, blending romance, humor, and unexpected journeys. The story centers on Ren, a self-taught, off-the-grid woman attending college for the first time, and Fitz, a meticulous student with his future carefully planned. Their lives collide during an immunology seminar assignment, sparking a road trip that brings them closer together and helps them realize that their paths—though vastly different—might just lead them to the same destination.

While Tangled Up In You had its charm, I found myself with mixed feelings about the book. The setting was captivating, and I enjoyed meeting the quirky characters, but I couldn’t shake the sense that the story had striking similarities to Kiss the Girl, the third book in the series—especially during the road trip scenes. The pacing also felt uneven. The beginning was engaging, but once the road trip took off, the story slowed down considerably. The final quarter of the book seemed rushed, with events piling up quickly and little explanation, leading to an abrupt ending that left me wanting more.

Another surprise was how Tangled Up In You leaned more towards young adult rather than adult fiction. While the previous books in the series featured protagonists in their mid-20s, Ren and Fitz felt much younger in terms of behavior, more like teenagers than young adults. Fitz’s character was well-developed, and I enjoyed learning about his backstory, but Ren’s energy—often described as "golden retriever-like"—felt excessive at times. Her naivety and overly optimistic demeanor didn’t quite land for me, which made it harder to connect with her.

Though this installment didn’t quite meet my expectations, I still found it entertaining. Despite its pacing issues and the characters’ youthful qualities, Tangled Up In You kept me engaged enough to finish it, earning a solid 3-star rating from me. It wasn’t my favorite in the series, but for fans of the A Meant To Be books, it still offers an enjoyable read.

Christina Lauren took Disney's Tangled and turned it into an absolutely delightful contemporary romance. They hit all the same beats as Tangled but in clever and creative ways. The story was instantly recognizable but simultaneously super fresh and fun. Ren, our Rapunzel, has only ever known life on an isolated homestead in Idaho, until she finally convinces her parents to let her go to Corona College. There she meets Fitz, the Flynn Rider in this version (spoiler alert: they don't exactly hit it off), and thanks to an assignment in her immunology seminar, she discovers that her dad isn't her biological father. One teensy bit of blackmail later, Ren and Fitz are off on a cross-country road-trip. She's determined to find some answers and also embrace all the new experiences along the way.

Tangled Up In You is maybe my favorite of the Meant to Be series, although Kiss the Girl by Zoraida Cordova is still up there too. These are great, especially for people who prefer fade-to-black or closed door romances.

Tangled Up in You is cute, cute, cute! This was such a fun re-telling of Rapunzel! I loved reading about how sunshiny Ren lived ...some things reminded me of watching Tangled with my girls a few years ago. I had a blast traveling with her and Fitz across country as they were on a mission to find out where she really came from. Fitz turns out to be an honorable young man and they make the cutest couple!

I read/listened to the audio. Andrew Gibson, Patti Murin and Eunice Wong narrated, and they did an amazing job!

Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review. All opinions are my own.

Publication date: 25 June 2024

Another Christina Lauren win! This book had me up late reading, and I loved the characters. The chemistry was perfect, and you just kept rooting for them!

I already love Christina Lauren and Tangled - but somehow, I loved this even MORE than I expected. There were much more twists and turns than I was anticipated, and once I was in it = I did not want to put it down! I loved the adventurous elements and the playful but still deep relationship between Ren and Fitz.

4.5/5

There's no accident in the name of this novel. It's a modern day retelling of the Rapunzel story, and a really fun read! Ren grew up off the grid with no technology, but she's a major bookworm and absolute genius, who achieves her dream of going off to Corona College. There, the long-haired, slightly naive, and quirky teen meets Fitz, who plans to graduate at the top of his class and get his criminal record wiped. However, when a DNA test in an immunology class reveals a match for Ren's father (who, as far as she knows, is the tech-averse man who raised her on the homestead), both Ren and Fitz's future plans get thrown for a loop. I loved this book— even if it was a little predictable for a Disney fan like me!

This book was very cute, if mild. Best suited for young adult audiences. It’s a very fast read- I got through this book in two sittings. Anyone who has seen the movie Tangled will be very familiar with the plot of this book, so no big surprises. Two notable detractions- the ending felt rushed with ends only tied up in the loosest sense, and the premise of Ren’s upbringing and eventual discovery by the authorities was implausible, and yet very similar to a Ruby Ridge scenario. Not even changing the state!
I regret putting off this book for so long, and I did really enjoy it! It gets four stars from me, and I recommend it to other readers. Thank you to Hyperion Avenue for the ARC of Tangled Up In You, which is available now.

This was a really cute Rapunzel retelling. Obviously with it being a retelling readers will know the general storyline. However, I felt like the book was a little too predictable. Compared to the rest of the Meant to Be series, there didn’t seem to be any surprise to the plot, it was very predictable. A cute story, but I think I would’ve enjoyed it more if it wasn’t as predictable.

Christina Lauren coming in hot saving this series! I did not like the previous book (by different authors) but this one was perfection! Loved it so much.

3.75 stars ✨

HUGE thanks to NetGalley and Christina Lauren for giving me an ARC of this book!

I thoroughly enjoyed this retelling! When I saw it was by Christina Lauren AND a Tangled retelling I was immediately in. I was super surprised with how quickly I devoured this book. I think it took me less than 7 hours to read this. The characters were so fun and interesting and lovable. Their dynamic unfolded so naturally and while somethings were a bit far fetched, it just added to the story since I knew the original movie plotline. There was very little secondhand embarrassment and I really really love how Ren was written. I wish there was more emphasis and explanation on Fitz’s life throughout the book rather than at the end, and we got more time with them at the end of the book, but this was such a fun read to get out of a slump.

It’s always lovely when you read a book and you can tell the authors love the source material.

Christina Lauren did a great job here with their reimagining of Tangled. There’s so many nods to the story that we all love, while also giving it their own fresh take and new spin on the story.

This was a lot of fun to read.

I wanted to love this one so bad but I just struggled through the first 25%. I struggled so much with Ren and her character. Christina Lauren did an amazing job putting this twist on Tangled and I hate that it just wasn’t for me but that doesn’t mean it’s not for you!

This is just fun to read. Like most Christina Lauren books th is a delight and a treat to read. Thank you for the opportunity to read and review.

The Meant to Be Series is so fun, and this book is likely my favorite one so far. I like the dynamic between Ren and Fitz and the little element of mystery as well.

Great for grumpy/sunshine fans as well as fans of retellings of classic tales (this is a modern retelling of Rapunzel).

Thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for early access to this title in exchange for an honest review.

My oldest daughter’s favorite movie when she was a toddler was Tangled so naturally I had to read this one! I thought the authors did a great job of paying homage to Rapunzel while putting their unique, modern twist on things and I’m a sucker for grump and sunshine.

I'm a big Christina Lauren fan, so I was excited to read this one. But after trying to get through it for four months, I'm tapping out at 28%.

This book isn't terrible. There hasn't been anything that made me say "this is it, I'm done!" I've been going back to it between books. And found myself barely able to finish a chapter at a time. So I'm calling it...

I think the problem with this sort of writing project (in this case, several authors took a fairy tale and made it modern) puts authors “in a box” and isn’t conducive to them writing their best stories. This is just another example of this. Previously I would have said this author could pull it off anyway - their book for the Improbable Meet-Cute series, The Exception to the Rule WAS fantastic. Alas, no author bats 1000 with all readers. And this one unfortunately was a dud.

As always, Christina Lauren's writing is stellar - they know how to craft a novel!
Unfortunately, I DNF'd the book because I just couldn't get into the story; I have to accept that new adult/college aged romances just aren't for me, and it's just because of how I am so removed from that scene and just want to sit them down and tell them to have some fun and they don't have to find their happily ever after RIGHT NOW.

I may try to read again in the future and see how it goes.

thanks for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

This book was ADORABLE!

I enjoyed this one so much. I loved all the ties to Disney’s Tangled. It made my heart so happy.

This one was just pure joy. 💜