Synopsis:
It’s Tangled. But instead of a tower, it’s a homestead in Idaho. And instead of Corona Island, it’s Corona College. And Pascal’s a cat and Max is a car.

My Thoughts:
This is such a solid retelling the odes to the movie were phenomenal. All the little details were perfect. But I do think you can absolutely still enjoy this book without being familiar with the movie.

It’s insta-lovely, super cheesy, doe-eyed innocent lead. Basically all the things you’d except from a Disney book.

Read if You Like:
💖 Tangled
💖 InstaLove
💖 HEAs
💖 Roadtrip romances
💖 Forced Proximity
💖 Only One Bed

I love Christina Lauren, and I love Hyperion's Disney princess retellings, so this was a sure fire hit for me! I really enjoyed this modern retelling of Tangled/Rapunzel. There were enough differences to keep me interested, but it still felt like a well-worn sweatshirt- comfortable and warm. I loved the two main characters together and the journeys they both took to freedom - freedom from the past and freedom from controlling parents. The ending was sweet. A hit for me!

The plot of this one was so much more fun than I expected! It was relatively clean, and while there were many similarities of Tangled/Rapunzel, there were plenty of differences to keep me invested.

Thank you to NetGalley, Christina Lauren, and the publisher for this eARC! I’ll definitely be looking into the other ones in the series of Disney Princess re-imaginings!

Tangled Up in You by Christina Lauren is a modern day retelling of Disney’s Tangled. I did not originally realize this and you do not have to be familiar with Tangled to enjoy the story.

Ren has been living on a homestead in Idaho with her parents for 18 years. REN goes to college as a 23 year old naive freshman. She meets Fitz, a senior who has a player reputation; she ends up on a road trip with him during school break. . REN and Fritz’s interaction often made me laugh aloud. Humor is what I enjoy in Christina Lauren books and this one had it, yet somehow fell a bit short for me in comparison to their other books.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and recommend it, especially to TANGLED fans.

If you’re a tangled fan- READ THIS BOOK! It was absolutely adorable and somehow made me want to rewatch tangled more than ever! This story in real life was an interesting take that fit the original story. The roadtrip was my favorite part and I wished we got a little more at the end.

Ren grew up on a homestead and wasnt allowed to use technology, go to school or do much of anything a child/teen would do, until her parents agreed to let her go to college (at the age of 22) BUT there were many rules. Ren meets Fitz on her first day as he’s her tour guide but he has a reputation and Ren was advised to stay away. The two share a class together and Ren goes against her parent’s rules by submitting a DNA test for the class. Ren learns that, according to the test, her dad isn’t her biological father. Ren breaks into the classroom to confirm the test results were hers and learns her bio dad lives in Georgia. She also sees Fitz breaking in to change a test grade. Fitz needs to stay out of trouble and keep good grades for reasons he won’t tell Ren but she blackmails him into driving her to Nashville on their spring break (he’s already going there). Fitz finally agrees and thinks he’s in for the worst trip of his life but actually begins to fall for Ren … even is willing to discuss his troubled past … something he’s never told anyone. Will the truth run naïve Ren off?

Give yourself until 25% before deciding to continue or not because it does start a little slow but DAMN, I am so glad I kept going because it was actually SO GOOD. The kyle suspense at the end had me at the edge of my seat.

I never watched Tangled so maybe I’m not the best to have read this for authenticity but if this was a retelling I might hop onto Disney+ and see what it’s all about.

I want to take Ren and protect her from everything bad in the world. I loved her character SO SO MUCH. She truly matched to the beat of her own drum and was so much stronger than she lead on … also she can fix cars?! Badass.

I can’t figure out my feelings towards Edward. I liked him in the beginning as the “bad boy”, he was sweet on the road trip once Ren grew on him but at the end he just became Ren’s shadow and I was hoping he’d have a little bit of a stronger character development.

DNF @ 28%

I love Tangled, but the story just doesn’t translate well into a modern, real-world setting. I found Ren’s naïveté to be annoying rather than charming—I can’t imagine even the most sheltered twenty-something reacting in some of the ways she did in the book.

Also, while the plot gives off YA vibes, there was still some cussing and other inappropriate language (light though it may be).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Full disclosure: I've never seen the movie "Tangled", but anything written by Christina + Lauren is an automatic must-read for me!

I absolutely adored reading Ren's growth throughout the book, once a sheltered inexperienced girl who grows into a mature and adventurous woman! Nothing like some DNA drama to get the party started! I loved getting to ride along with Ren & Fitz on their road trip. The tropes abound in this delightful romantic comedy - including but not limited to forced proximity and grumpy/sunshine!

Highly recommend for readers interested in clean romance (shocking for CL!) with tons of chemistry, a touch of mystery, and laugh out loud moments!

Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for the opportunity to read this advanced e-copy in exchange for my honest opinion!

This was cute but I definitely missed their usual writing vibe instead of writing within a themed series with other people. I don't think it lived up to they kind of writing and stories I know they can produce.

REN has lived a sheltered life. She and her parents have lived off the grid for as long as she can remember in her 22 years. REN has finally convinced her parents to let her go to college but have given her strict rules to follow - do not go off campus, stay away from technology especially the internet, and come home every weekend to complete her weekly chores. After an assignment in class that throws her a curveball, she bribes Fitz (a classmate who is slightly annoyed with her sunny disposition and naivety) on a cross country road trip. They slowly start to learn about each other and work to uncover her mystery.

This Tangled retelling was ok. It was not like any other Christina Lauren’s book I had read which is probably why I was a little disappointed and story moved a little slow. I would probably recommend the book to any Disney Lover especially ones that love Rapunzel. Thanks to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for a copy of the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

Very cute story. I haven't actually seen the movie Tangled but I did guess what the "twist" was before it happened. Really liked the characters once I got into it.

Ren goes off to college at the age of 22 and finally gets the chance to experience the world outside her homestead. While at college Ren meets Fitz and becomes infatuated with him.
Ren and Fitz end up taking a cross country road trip during reading week. Both slowly open up to each other on the trip.

A cute grumpy/sunshine romance. I really enjoyed the plot even though it was obvious what was going to happen. A quick easy to follow storyline. A great vacation read.

Christina Lauren always writes propulsive plots, so the main dynamic between the two main characters kept me going through this one. The end felt a little hectic--the mystery was engaging but the post-mystery part felt both too much and underdeveloped somehow, and didn't focus as much on the main couple as I would have liked for a romance.

I don't know what I was expecting when I decided to review this book but this was nothing what I had in mind. And that, turns out, is a good thing.

I love retellings and Tangled Up In You hit all the right marks on so many levels as a Disney Tangled retelling.

Ren has interacted with the outside world as she is the coddled by her parents. But no more. She's off to college. A little late in life but is excited nonetheless. And she's thriving. Not only is she well liked but she is also the best in the class much to the chagrin of Flynn.

Flynn needs to be the best, for reasons he cannot say but they are important enough that he cannot let Ren outshine him. Even if it means cheating. However, when she catches him cheeting, she now has leverage over him and in order to ensure no one finds out, Ren offers him a deal, take her with him on his road trip or else she will release the evidence that would most likely have him expelled.

What happens next is a road trip of learning new things for Ren as she searches for a relative she never knew she had.

This was a road trip romance that I actually liked considering that I normally hate them. But this was fun and entertaining.

5 stars.

Recommended for ages 16+ for language, danger, and spicy (though not sexual) scenes.

Loved this book. Another home run, by these two authors. Fitz has so many secrets, all that affect not only his current life, but how he deals with the circus of his past. Then the breath of fresh air, named Ren rushes in and the world explodes into fireworks. Lots going on, lots of trials and tribulations. Really good read, the ending was lite and left me feeling the storyline was not quite complete, but a definite addition to your TBR List.

I LOVED this book. It was so much more than a sweet romantic story between two unlikely people. The way Ren and Fitz grow together and as individuals during their road trip was so heartwarming. Add to it the twist of both of their pasts, and I could not put this one down. Another great novel by the Christina Lauren duo!!! Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story is a retelling of Disney's Tangled, but with Christina Lauren's contemporary romance twist. A sweet tale of growth and evolution, with some mystery and intrigue. A great, fun read!

Reviewed for NetGalley:

I knew going into this story, that it was going to be a retelling of Rapunzel.

And yes, there were similarities in the plot, but I was nearly done with the book and completely forgot it was a retelling because of how well done it was written and the story spoke for itself.

Ren, living on a severely sheltered homestead and farm with her parents, intelligent beyond her years, convinces her parents to let her go to college.....solely during the week. She returns home for the weekends to continue her work on the farm and maintain some level of sheltered lifestyle she was raised.

But when a blood test during a school assignment places doubt on her origins, Ren travels with the help of the college wide popular, Fitz, to find where she comes from.

An overall, fun, sweet read with some surprisingly good twists and turns.

This was such a cute retelling! I typically have issues with retellings because I compare everything to the original, and Tangled is one of my favorite Disney movies and I think you just shouldn’t touch perfection. But I was pleasantly surprised!

It did take a while for me to get into the story though, which made me worried I wasn’t going to enjoy the book. It was around the ~40% mark that I got invested and didn’t want to put the book down. Just a bit of a slow start to get us introduced to our characters and the world.

Read if you like:
🔁 retellings
🛏️ one bed
😮‍💨 slow burn
🚗 road trips
👀 forced proximity

Overall I loved the modern twists on Rapunzel (Ren) and Flynn (Fitz). So much fun! Bravo to CLo for taking on and succeeding in a great retelling!

This is the second book I've read in the "Meant to Be" series and I just am not sure if they're for me. I really enjoyed the first half of the book, watching Ren acclimate to the 'real' world and become adored by all was really fun. Even the beginning of the road trip I enjoyed reading about, I thought that Ren and Fitz's banter was funny to read, and I liked their dialogue. I'm not entirely sure when I stopped liking it so much, but I can say that I felt like the last quarter of the book or so just felt like it was rushed. All of this stuff happened in a short amount of time, but I didn't feel like anyone responded to it in a real way and it just pulled me out of the story. I'd recommend this book to someone looking for a more innocent romance, or maybe someone who is just getting into romance books. Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for this ARC!