The newest Meant to Be Disney adaptation takes on Tangled, with main character Ren, a girl raised in isolation on a homestead and now finds herself at college. There, she meets Fitz, a well known ladies man with a murky past. When they find themselves on an unexpected road trip together, they start to understand each more and create a deeper bond.

I loved this! Tangled is one of, if not my favorite, Disney movies, and this did such a good job adapting it! I loved all the slight nods to the movie (although wish we could have had Pascal along the whole time), while still allowing Ren and Edward (Fitz) to be their own people. I loved By the Book too, but this one was so much better for me, maybe again because I love Tangled so much. The authors even got a frying pan reference in! Just such a delight for a Tangled lover, although I think anyone could enjoy this sweet romance.

I received my copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

This was a really enjoyable, kinda crazy romance. I’ve read several Christina Lauren books and this one is definitely a bit different from their usual stories. It’s closed door, so more YA, even though the main characters are in their early twenties, but it didn’t seem like it was missing anything. The plot was pretty out there, but considering it’s supposed to be a retelling of Rapunzel, that makes total sense. I really liked both main characters. It was a bit opposite attracts, it not in a toxic way. I don’t know if this would appeal to other Christina Lauren fans because it’s definitely a departure from their usual content, but I thought it was a lot of fun.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hyperion Avenue for providing me access to this eARC for my honest opinion!

I will read anything that Christina Lauren puts out and fall completely in love with it. They are such brilliant writers and this one was no different. Such a good read. it was quick and engaging and everything I could ask for. I recommend over and over again :)

Christina Lauren know how to tell a story. Their characters leap off the page with personality. The tension between Ren and Fitz is top notch. With romances, you always know your due for a Happily Ever After...even more so with a fairytale retelling. Somehow they are still able to keep me turning the pages and hoping for that HEA. I haven't read the other books in the Matched Series, but I've read most of what Christina Lauren have written.

I love Christina Lauren and Rapunzel, so what was there not to like about this story? I thoroughly enjoyed the book and plot

Favorite Disney movie + favorite writing duo = SPARKS FLYING. I am deeply obsessed. What a story!! I will always read anything CLO gives me.

I enjoyed the modern take on Tangled. It's one of my favorite Disney movies. I also am a huge fan of anything Christina Lauren writes. I found this one missing some of the banter I loved about their previous works. I think it's because this book had more of a YA vibe than an adult romance vibe. That's okay, just not my normal cup of tea. It's still cute and worth a read.

You’ve got a modern day Rapunzel story with our main girl Ren setting off for college after living on a farm her whole life. She meets Fitz, cocky rich kid who has a secret past and start on their adventure being near each other. I liked the story line and the romance.

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 ❤️