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blackveilbeccy's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
I enjoyed the last instalment of this series. The opposites attract trope worked well and the ren faire setting was fabulous as always. The MMC had hidden depths and it was lovely to watch the FMC unravel these as the plot progressed - it was a great parallel to her own journey of self-discovery. Some of the “girl power” stuff was very heavy-handed and it took me out of the plot at times, but beyond that this was a great read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Sexism, Misogyny, Infidelity, and Panic attacks/disorders
beckyyreadss's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
The first book was gifted to me by Michael Joseph Penguin Publishing and when I found out it was a series, I knew I had to continue it. This series has been a rollercoaster – I enjoyed the first and third book in this series, but the second book and this book has just been so disappointing. I just wanted more, and I spent most of the time rolling my eyes in this book and wanted to smack the characters.
This book is based on Louisa Malone who we met in the last book, she is Mitch’s cousin and she is an attorney who lived to work until the day it all went wrong. Mitch introduced her to the world of Renaissance Faires, she jumps for the turkey legs, taverns and tarot readers. Sometimes a girl just needs to detox from life and have some fun. The only drawback is Dex MacLean. He is a guitarist with a gorgeous smile, the Casanova of the Faire and her travelling companion for the summer. Dex is a bad boy and has never worked hard in his life. He is touring with his brother as The Dueling Kilts and there is a woman for him at every Faire. But when Lulu proves indifferent to his plaid charms and the band’s future is threatened, Dex fears he is losing it. Spending days and nights on the road, Lulu and Dex can’t help but grow close. But summer can’t last forever.
I had such high hopes for Louisa because of how good Mitch’s book was and it wasn’t. I was more interested in the family drama on Dex’s side rather than the actual love story between Louisa and Dex. I would have loved Patrick to be more involved. The band stopped this book from being two stars. I wanted more of them. I liked how Jen gets into the Ren Faire and this time you see more than the chessboard or the band. This time around we saw more of the fortune tellers and see Louisa perception changes of them. Dex wasn’t making me all hot and bothered – I didn’t care, the whole “I'm more than a slut” stereotype just gave me a headache. He was just bland and boring.
I hate the miscommunication trope and the third-act conflict – both which was done badly in this book. Both of them knew it wasn’t going to last at the end of the summer yet they both got attached and both got emotionally involved. Then the third-act conflict was just not needed because you knew what was going to happen. This book went from a slow-burn like no action until chapter 18 maybe 19 and then sex for three chapters and then third-act conflict like Jesus talk about a whirlwind. I would have liked this to be a dual POV, but I don’t think it would have made it any better because Dex was boring.
I think Jen DeLuca is good at leading and setting up a new story and making you want more, but then struggles to get it over the line at times.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Panic attacks/disorders
Minor: Infidelity
emilywemily6's review against another edition
hopeful
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I adore Lulu and her character growth throughout this story, especially with how she learned tarot! And I really enjoy this author’s writing style. I feel like I would have loved this more if it was more sisterhood/general fiction and less romance because I was not convinced about Dax. The idea that there was more to him than people saw was already used for Mitch’s story but Mitch actually had a lot of depth that astute readers saw hinted at in earlier books; Dax was very flat as a character and had no distinguishing features (besides being hot) that set him apart. I didn’t get the emotional chemistry between Lulu and Dax. I also felt like the big conflict was solved very easily and Lulu apparently didn’t even think of the solution?? And when Dax suggested it there weren’t any issues or hang ups and the solution just worked out. It was unsatisfying to read about. If Dax was removed from this story it could have been a 5 star tbh.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexism, Alcohol, Cursing, and Misogyny
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Grief and Gaslighting
kaitlinlovesbooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content
Minor: Alcohol
The female main character experiences serious pressure from her parents to fit a narrow definition of success, which causes her a lot of stress and negative self-talk.greenlivingaudioworm's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Alcohol, Panic attacks/disorders, and Sexual content
radler's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Sexism, and Alcohol
magic_multicolored_miracle's review against another edition
emotional
funny
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Initially, I was apprehensive: Dex in book 2 was kind of an asshole and this book departs from the cast we've come to love (though thankfully we still have Stacey and Bennedick. And a few cameos, mostly in the back 3rd) and the Willow Creek faire. But I should have trusted the author knew what she was doing. All of the new faces and places are just as loveable, and I wish I too could run away to join them.
Lulu and Dex's romance slides into place casually, forming so organically that I half forgot this was a rom-com and that I knew they'd end up together. They took my emotions on a roller coaster of laughs and tears, and in one beautiful moment of tension, had me truly scared that they might not get their happy ending.
It's hard to say, but I think they might have scored themselves the top spot in my ranking of the couples.
However, the book could have been better with more space between it and Well Matched, as the conflicts/relationship struggles between Lulu and Dex are very similar to those of April and Mitch at times, and both women are similar in personality and in how much they are a fish out of water at the faire (Emily also fits the latter though so that is more of a running theme than a detractor).
Lulu and Dex's romance slides into place casually, forming so organically that I half forgot this was a rom-com and that I knew they'd end up together. They took my emotions on a roller coaster of laughs and tears, and in one beautiful moment of tension, had me truly scared that they might not get their happy ending.
It's hard to say, but I think they might have scored themselves the top spot in my ranking of the couples.
However, the book could have been better with more space between it and Well Matched, as the conflicts/relationship struggles between Lulu and Dex are very similar to those of April and Mitch at times, and both women are similar in personality and in how much they are a fish out of water at the faire (Emily also fits the latter though so that is more of a running theme than a detractor).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Alcohol
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Misogyny and Sexism
ohheyitskaitlin's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Cursing
Minor: Gaslighting, Alcohol, Cultural appropriation, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Misogyny, and Sexism
lacrimaeignis's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
If you're looking for a fun, not overly serious, escape that mixes the modern day with weekend trips to the Renaissance please pick up this series! These books are the perfect comfort read! I absolutely adore this series and I will always love going to the Ren Faire with these characters! Well Traveled might very well be my favorite in the series. Here's to hoping there will be more books in this series, I would gladly read them all, but I have a feeling this is the final one.
I adored Lulu and Dex - their banter, their chemistry, the way they actually see each other beyond their public personas. I loved Lulu ever since she joined the series. It was refreshing to read about someone who decides to upend their life and join the Ren Faire for a while to discover what they truly want in life. It was especially nice to see her let loose and be open minded to new lifestyles and ways of thinking considering she is a logical, somewhat uptight person due to her profession and the expectations placed upon her.
I'm also so glad we got to learn more about Dex because he always intrigued me. Being the seemingly carefree type who doesn't care about the consequences of his actions he definitely had a story to tell. It seems more often than not those types of characters are more than meets the eye.
I adored Lulu and Dex - their banter, their chemistry, the way they actually see each other beyond their public personas. I loved Lulu ever since she joined the series. It was refreshing to read about someone who decides to upend their life and join the Ren Faire for a while to discover what they truly want in life. It was especially nice to see her let loose and be open minded to new lifestyles and ways of thinking considering she is a logical, somewhat uptight person due to her profession and the expectations placed upon her.
I'm also so glad we got to learn more about Dex because he always intrigued me. Being the seemingly carefree type who doesn't care about the consequences of his actions he definitely had a story to tell. It seems more often than not those types of characters are more than meets the eye.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual content and Alcohol
mandkips's review
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcohol, Sexual content, and Cursing
Moderate: Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, and Misogyny
Minor: Infidelity and Fatphobia