BOOK REVIEW: Well Met by Jen DeLuca @jaydee_ell @berkleyromance @tayhaggerty @berkleypub #wellmet #bookreview

“I didn’t choose the wench life, the wench life chose me.”

If those aren’t outstanding opening lines for a book, I don’t know what are! Jen De Luca’s contemporary romance Well Met had me hooked from that first page. I found it funny, light, filled with great characters, unique, and heart-warming. A perfect book for me this past week!

Check out my review of the sequel, Well Played as well!

About the Book

When Emily’s sister April gets in a car accident and Emily finds herself dumped by her long-time boyfriend, she relocates to the tiny, adorable town of Willow Creek, MD to help her sister out and care for her teenage niece Caitlyn. But she soon finds herself roped into volunteering with her niece at the local Renaissance Faire—something Emily hadn’t bargained on when she accepted the job of nanny.

Local brooding high school teacher Simon run’s the faire nearly on his own. The faire was something started by his brother Sean, and now it is Simon’s legacy to continue to keep it going. Simon and Emily couldn’t be more at odds. He certainly doesn’t appreciate Emily’s lackluster Faire name (Emma), her Shakespearean conspiracy theories, or her efforts to spruce up the Faire (why not have multiple Shakespeare’s running around?).

But once the faire kicks off and Emily is in her sexy tavern wench costume, serving beer and wine to the attendees, Simon is a different story. In his pirate costume, he brazenly flirts with Emily/Emma, getting her more hot and bothered than the corset that is slowly constricting her mid-section. But how can she reconcile the Simon from rehearsal who infuriates her with the charming pirate who tosses innuendo at her?

As the summer goes on, Emily becomes more attached to Willow Creek. She isn’t sure where she’ll go next, but she can’t help but feel that maybe there is a future for her in Willow Creek and with Simon afterall…

Reflection

I’m a big Shakespeare fan (literature major, after all), so I was really excited for the theme of this book! I’m not someone who personally goes to Renaissance Faires (though I do think they would be fun!), but I love the idea of them. In Well Met, the Renaissance Faire works so well because the whole town supports it. And because Simon and his brother Sean before him truly put their all into it.

If you are someone who loves small towns, I think you’ll be charmed by this book! I love the way they all support one another. Even though April feels like a bit of an outsider still, Emily might be her key to becoming a true part of the town. There’s really nothing like the support small towns show one another. I can see why people would love living in Willow Creek!

Emily is a riot! I found her to be that perfect mix of relatable and hurting, and strong and humorous. She had a rough break in her last relationship, and I got up in my feels more than once as she worked through the pain that relationship caused her. I also thought it was a sign of how mentally healthy she is that she let herself feel and acknowledge that pain and work through it. She really caught a tough break there, and I was just so filled with happiness seeing her heal and find a new home and friends, reconnect with her sister, and discover what she is truly gifted at in life.

Simon is truly an outstanding character as well! It will take a bit for you to get to know him, because the book is narrated by Emily and told through her eyes. It was the perfect way to write it because you saw him the way Emily did—difficult at first and no comparison to the heavily-muscled Mitch, but then as you learn more about him and his life, he becomes this complex and dynamic person.

I could go on about how many characters I loved, but I will keep it brief and say that there is a fantastic cast in this book. I do want to mention how much I loved seeing the relationship between Emily and her sister April develop across the book. Emily does drop everything to help her, but she also doesn’t have much to drop. That doesn’t detract from what she does, but I loved the way April helped Emily as much as Emily helped April. A beautiful sister relationship!

Jen DeLuca, if you are reading this review, please give us a sequel featuring a romance for April, Stacey, or Chris! The people (meaning me) want to know that they find happiness! Especially April…there’s a backstory there and I want to know it!

Do yourself a favor and make sure this is on your reading list soon!

Thank you to Berkley for my copy. Opinions are my own.

About the Author

Jen DeLuca was born and raised near Richmond, Virginia, but now lives in Central Florida with her husband and a houseful of rescue pets. She loves latte-flavored lattes, Hokies football, and the Oxford comma. Well Met is her first novel, inspired by her time volunteering as a pub wench with her local Renaissance Faire.