There are no spoilers in this review.

Well Met, Jen DeLuca

Publishing on September 3rd, 2019 by Berkley.


All’s faire in love and war for two sworn enemies who indulge in a harmless flirtation in a laugh-out-loud rom-com from debut author, Jen DeLuca.
Emily knew there would be strings attached when she relocated to the small town of Willow Creek, Maryland, for the summer to help her sister recover from an accident, but who could anticipate getting roped into volunteering for the local Renaissance Faire alongside her teenaged niece? Or that the irritating and inscrutable schoolteacher in charge of the volunteers would be so annoying that she finds it impossible to stop thinking about him?
The faire is Simon’s family legacy and from the start he makes clear he doesn’t have time for Emily’s lighthearted approach to life, her oddball Shakespeare conspiracy theories, or her endless suggestions for new acts to shake things up. Yet on the faire grounds he becomes a different person, flirting freely with Emily when she’s in her revealing wench’s costume. But is this attraction real, or just part of the characters they’re portraying?
This summer was only ever supposed to be a pit stop on the way to somewhere else for Emily, but soon she can’t seem to shake the fantasy of establishing something more with Simon, or a permanent home of her own in Willow Creek.

Since I usually review young adult books: please note that Well Met is an adult book and it contains sexual content that might not suit younger readers 🙂

I ENJOYED…

☂️

• If you’re looking for a cute adult enemies-to-lovers romance, Well Met might just be the right fit for you and, in that area, it delivered…most of it all. Emily and Simon were lovely together, I really liked especially how we got to know Simon better and see a little bit under his shell as he opened up to Emily and we learned about his story, too. The chemistry was undeniable…. I just wish we got more of it.
• Something I really enjoyed about Well Met, was the sisters’ and their relationship. Emily arrives to the small town of Willow Creek to take care of her sister after she’s been in a car accident and, the two being over 10 years apart, they had never been really close. I loved seeing their relationship grow and them getting closer as the story went on. Sisters vibes!
• The setting was wonderful and unique, for sure. I love small town settings and the Renaissance Faire, an event set in the woods, where everyone dresses up with dated costumes during all the summer weekends, with little booths with jewellry, events and combats and so on. It was my first time reading about such an event and I found it so much fun!
• The main character, Emily, was relatable and insecure as she didn’t know where to go from here, was scared about repeating her past’s mistakes and uncertain about her future. I loved seeing her grow as the story went on and figuring out her own home and purpose, too.
• The writing was quite simple, but easy to read, well-paced and fun, making this story a quick and entertaining one to read as a whole.

I HAD A HARD TIME WITH…

☂️

• Unfortunately, I felt like the author just went on the surface of it all and found myself craving for more:
  • I liked the main character, but I didn’t feel as deeply for her as I wished.
  • I liked the romance overall, but I felt like it could have used a little more… tension, somehow, a little more build-up from the hate, to the lovers part. When the characters were together and the romance was full-time there, I could feel the chemistry between the characters, but I felt like we missed more scenes to have their relationship properly developed from hate to love.

OVERALL

☂️

If you enjoy fun, entertaining adult romances with original settings, I’d definitely recommend Well Met. The story lacked a little bit of depth in its characters and relationships for me to fall head over heels for it, but I still had fun reading it overall and, who knows, you might just end up loving it.

Final rating:  3 drops!

Thank you to Penguin Random House International & NetGalley for sending me an e-ARC of this book. This did not, in any way, influence my thoughts and rating.
Trigger warnings: mentions of a car accident, broken leg, loss of a loved one, mention of cancer.

Diversity: 

Did you read Well Met? Do you want to?

What was the last romance book you read and enjoyed? Let me know in comments!

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