{Review} Well Met by Jen DeLuca

Page Count: 336

Published On: September 3, 2019

Published By: Berkley Romance

Genre(s): Adult romance

Source: Hardback bought through Book of the Month
Where To Find It: Amazon// Book Depository

My Rating: 5 stars

Goodreads synopsis:

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.

~ ~ ~

Content Warning: 

This does contain sexual content, a pirate in leather, and a swoon-worthy man in a kilt

Hey guys!

Welcome to my review of Well Met by Jen DeLuca. Full disclosure, I adored this book. It was everything I needed: small-town romance, hate-to-love and a sort of enemies to lovers situation, and there was a kind of fake dating spin. It was EVERYTHING. I loved it so freaking much. I absolutely fell in love with the characters that we met in this novel. I want to befriend them IRL and become their best friends. I love it when I feel so connected to a cast of characters. This has quickly become a new favorite romance book and I cannot wait for the companion/sequel that follows our main character's ren faire BFF.

This book was so freaking delightful. I cannot believe I waited so long to read it. Back in August 2019, I picked Well Met as my Book of the Month, but I didn't pick it up until March of 2020. What a travesty! Thank the Lord for the BaeCrate buddy reads on Facebook, otherwise, I would have waited even longer to pick it up.

In this novel, we meet Emily. After breaking up with her long term boyfriend, Emily moves to her sister's small town to take care of her and her niece after her sister is in a debilitating car accident. That summer, she takes her niece to sign up for the town's renaissance faire, but she soon finds out that she has to sign up too because minors can't participate without a guardian present. She signs up/volunteers to be a tavern wench. Little does she know that she is about to have her most enjoyable summer yet. 

This book hooked me as soon as I started reading it. Not only is Emily a snarky, flirty, caring character, but the way she took in her surroundings and processed what happened to her was so engaging and addictive. I loved seeing her world through her eyes. She was so brilliantly written. Whenever she interacted with Simon throughout the story, I was on the edge of my seat. Their banter and interactions were so perfectly done. Their chemistry was palpable and so addicting. 

Simon. Simon Simon Simon. What a darling male companion. Right off the bat, I knew I was going to love him because somehow Emily's delightful and adorable personality was going to break through his curmudgeonly personality. I adored how his character developed and how his relationship with his friends blossomed and improved as he began to open up and communicate. I love him so much.

Additionally, the side characters in this book were so fabulously written. Even though they weren't the main characters, I still felt like I knew them so well. They didn't just fit in to make Emily's life better. They had their own lives outside hers. Jen DeLuca just did such a wonderful job writing this book.

Also, the steamy scene that occurred in this book is so wonderfully written. It wasn't creepy or weirdly done. It was perfect. You need it.

If you haven't picked up this romance novel, I definitely suggest that you do. It's so well written and I cannot rave about it nearly enough. This book deserves all of the praise. Please read it.

If you would like to pick up a copy of this book for $14.99, I definitely recommend the Book of the Month service. I adore their boxes and their choices every month. 

{Purchase Through Book of the Month here!}

I hope you enjoyed this review. Please stay safe out there and please stay home. This virus, the coronavirus (COVID-19) is a very dangerous and fast-spreading sickness that is affecting so many people. It is a very scary time out in the world, but we can get through it if we continue to work together by using social distancing and staying home. 

Please think of the immuno-compromised, the young, the elderly, and all those who cannot fight off this virus as easily as the able-bodied. 

Please take care. 

{Please inform yourself about COVID-19 if you have not already}

Happy reading, my lovelies.

Olivia 

~Liv the Book Nerd~

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