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Well Played
(Well Met #2)
by
Stacey is jolted when her friends Simon and Emily get engaged. She knew she was putting her life on hold when she stayed in Willow Creek to care for her sick mother, but it's been years now, and even though Stacey loves spending her summers pouring drinks and flirting with patrons at the local Renaissance Faire, she wants more out of life. Stacey vows to have her life figu
...more
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Jen DeLuca
This is a contemporary romance, a follow-up to my first novel WELL MET.
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Showing 1-30
Start your review of Well Played (Well Met, #2)
ARC provided by Berkley Romance.
1.) Well Met ★★★★
When I tell you that Ren Fest romances are maybe a kink of mine, I am being completely truthful. I grew up going to a renaissance faire in Michigan every summer for my whole life. It was always such a magical experience walking through the gate and feeling like I entered a completely new world, filled with magic and music and fae and I truly looked forward to it every summer! Now I’m much o ...more"It all started with a necklace."
I couldn’t be happier to turn back to Willow Creek for second tango for the Renaissance Fair! So when I got my ARC and after a few screams, unsuccessful handspring trials (which ended with hitting my right foot against the wall and limping like Kaiser Soze throughout the day), sipping mimosas, having the longest brunch party (me, dogs, husband who secretly empties his plate filled with my homemade Eggs Benedict into flower pots –yes, my flowers looked like famous flower at the Little Shop of Hor
...more
While I did overall enjoy this one because this series as a whole is just so! much! fun!, I did have a few issues with it. The relationship at the center of the book is established by a year-long catfishing scenario and the heroine just kind of... gets over it immediately as if that isn't a horrible thing to do to someone for AN ENTIRE YEAR????? Granted, that is in the synopsis so I knew what I was getting into, but the pacing of the whole situation felt really off and it just didn't work for me
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the things i loved about
‘well met’
(i.e. simon the pirate and the ren faire) were missing from this and i totally felt their absence.
i understand the pressure JD must have felt with this sophomore novel, especially with it being part of a series - she probably didnt want to it to seem like she was copying and pasting things from the first book. but they made the first book successful. so when you remove those things, what do you have left?
i guess it just leaves the characters and their chem ...more
i understand the pressure JD must have felt with this sophomore novel, especially with it being part of a series - she probably didnt want to it to seem like she was copying and pasting things from the first book. but they made the first book successful. so when you remove those things, what do you have left?
i guess it just leaves the characters and their chem ...more
Another trip back to the Renaissance Faire! I adored the first book in this series, Well Met so I excited to read Well Played. Overall it was enjoyable, romantic and a fun read! I didn't love it quite as much as the first book but I adore these characters and any chance to visit the faire!
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Ouch, this review is gonna be sad to write because I absoluteley adored Well Met. But this one... this was just a miss.
So, what's this book about?
Stacey is jolted when her friends Simon and Emily get engaged. She knew she was putting her life on hold when she stayed in Willow Creek to care for her sick mother, but it's been years now, and even though Stacey loves spending her summers pouring drinks and flirting with patrons at the local Renaissance Faire, she wants more out of life. Stacey v ...more
I enjoyed Well Met and immediately added Well Played to my TBR. After a few months, the wait was over and I was able to snatch an early copy of it. (Thank you Forever!!!).
For those who read Well Read, our heroine became good friends with Emily, the heroine of book 1. I liked her in Well Met. I thought she was straight forward and good support for Emily.
What I learned in this story is that Stacey never wanted to stay in a small town. She had dreams of leaving it and doing something else wit ...more
The more I looked at him, the more I remembered all the words we’d shared over the months. And the more I fell. I really, really hoped he would be there to catch me.
The setting of the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire is definitely a huge factor as to why I enjoy this series so much. I've never been to a Faire but wow, Jen DeLuca makes me wish I was part of one!
There were things that I feel Deluca really improves on from her first book. I loved both our main characters so much and I felt more conn ...more
This was a HUGE miss for me, which makes me so sad because I really loved Well Met. But, for some reason, the writing, the characters, and the romance just were not for me.
From the beginning, I really found it hard to like Stacey's character. She complains so much about her life and staying in a small time to be there for her mom when she was sick; she is pretty resentful that she never got to leave and chase her dreams. Now, she's 27 and nothing is keeping her in the small town except for her ...more
From the beginning, I really found it hard to like Stacey's character. She complains so much about her life and staying in a small time to be there for her mom when she was sick; she is pretty resentful that she never got to leave and chase her dreams. Now, she's 27 and nothing is keeping her in the small town except for her ...more
4 stars
After reading (and loving) 'Well Met' last year, I was so excited to get to Well Played. I liked Stacey a lot and couldn't wait to get her story. Though I didn't love this one quite as much as the first, it was still a great read!
If you've read 'Well Met' you remember Emily's friend and fellow tavern wench, Stacey. Stacey is still in the same small town she grew up in, even though she had dreams to work in fashion in the big city. Due to so ...more
It all started with a necklace.
After reading (and loving) 'Well Met' last year, I was so excited to get to Well Played. I liked Stacey a lot and couldn't wait to get her story. Though I didn't love this one quite as much as the first, it was still a great read!
If you've read 'Well Met' you remember Emily's friend and fellow tavern wench, Stacey. Stacey is still in the same small town she grew up in, even though she had dreams to work in fashion in the big city. Due to so ...more
Be very jealous, for I got to read an early copy of WELL PLAYED, Jen DeLuca's follow up to the absolutely swoon-worthy WELL MET.
DeLuca is, hands down, one of my favourite authors and this book did not disappoint. The romance, the longing, the charm, the steam...all there. I absolutely loved this book and need a third book by her immediately! ...more
DeLuca is, hands down, one of my favourite authors and this book did not disappoint. The romance, the longing, the charm, the steam...all there. I absolutely loved this book and need a third book by her immediately! ...more
Well Played by Jen Deluca is an excellent sequel to Well Met. This series is rom coms at the Renaissance Faire.
Well Played can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading them in order. If you are going to read both books reading them in order is a must.
I absolutely loved Well Played. I also loved Well Met so was impatiently waiting for Well Played to be released. This story is cute and funny while also having some emotional points. I was engaged from the first page.
I listened to the ...more
Well Played can be read as a standalone, but I highly recommend reading them in order. If you are going to read both books reading them in order is a must.
I absolutely loved Well Played. I also loved Well Met so was impatiently waiting for Well Played to be released. This story is cute and funny while also having some emotional points. I was engaged from the first page.
I listened to the ...more
I’m a huge fan of small town romances and small town life in general. I might not want to live in a small town myself, but I love to read about it in books. And the Renaissance Festival setting makes this series really interesting and unique.
Something else I love in romance books is correspondence, that can be letters, emails, texts. Because if it’s done well it can really showcase a person’s character. And the author did a good job by introducing this medium in her plot.
Also the author is reall ...more
Something else I love in romance books is correspondence, that can be letters, emails, texts. Because if it’s done well it can really showcase a person’s character. And the author did a good job by introducing this medium in her plot.
Also the author is reall ...more
This is a romance set in the same town as Well Met surrounding a Ren Faire. The premise of this relationship unfortunately surrounds a catfishing incident, which is made pretty clear from the synopsis but lasts way longer than needed (about halfway into the book). What also is unfortunate is as the readers, it’s abundantly clear who our main character is obviously having an email relationship with but she remains oblivious. When they do get together, they are actually fairly cute but we don’t ev
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im not gonna rate this one because I dnf'ed it at like 80%
well met was one of my favorite romance books last year so I was super excited to read this one but to be honest catfishing plots just aren't for me. i was hoping that the catfishing element wouldn't have been too much of a focus point in the story but it went on for so much longer then i wanted it to and I had a hard time feeling the romance because of that.
I do love the ren faire setting so much and I'm still so excited for the next bo ...more
well met was one of my favorite romance books last year so I was super excited to read this one but to be honest catfishing plots just aren't for me. i was hoping that the catfishing element wouldn't have been too much of a focus point in the story but it went on for so much longer then i wanted it to and I had a hard time feeling the romance because of that.
I do love the ren faire setting so much and I'm still so excited for the next bo ...more
The crew from
Well Met
returns for another renaissance faire season and another fun love story in Jen DeLuca's new book.
Stacey has been part of the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire since high school, and it’s the time she looks forward to most each year. But as much as she enjoys playing the role of the bawdy serving wench, flirting with patrons, and hanging out with her friends, she’s tired of seeing all of her friends with fabulous lives while she feels she's stuck in place. She's starting t ...more
Stacey has been part of the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire since high school, and it’s the time she looks forward to most each year. But as much as she enjoys playing the role of the bawdy serving wench, flirting with patrons, and hanging out with her friends, she’s tired of seeing all of her friends with fabulous lives while she feels she's stuck in place. She's starting t ...more
Sep 28, 2020
Aoife - Bookish_Babbling
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read-in-2020,
3-point-25-stars
I didn't enjoy this as much as Well Met, I guess the enemies-to-lovers spark was missing from this one. Well that and it took a good 50% of the book to get back to the Ren Faire - with much of the first half being emails & texts exchanges. Which can be hit or miss for me, if the banter is good I'm all for it but these were a bit more soul-searching then humerous and while they're what the characters needed it just doesn't quite float my boat.
Nothing against Stacey & D, they are adorkable in thei ...more
Nothing against Stacey & D, they are adorkable in thei ...more
Me @ seeing this pretty sequel
...more
...more
Sep 25, 2020
Blythe The Word Junkie
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
lol-worthy-moments,
recommendable-romance
4 out of 5 stars!
Huzzah! Modern dating meets Medieval times.
What another great read from Jen DeLuca! Reading this felt like a serving of a soothingly warm and aromatic coffee with the rain pouring outside your cozy bedroom. Undisturbed. Relaxed. Mildly swooning. I loved Well Met, and I love this one too! DeLuca gives us a healthy dose of her signature Renaissance Faire ambiance, complete with Vest/Kilt-wearing heroes and corseted hero ...more
Huzzah! Modern dating meets Medieval times.
Something as glorious and powerful as love shouldn't be caged.
What another great read from Jen DeLuca! Reading this felt like a serving of a soothingly warm and aromatic coffee with the rain pouring outside your cozy bedroom. Undisturbed. Relaxed. Mildly swooning. I loved Well Met, and I love this one too! DeLuca gives us a healthy dose of her signature Renaissance Faire ambiance, complete with Vest/Kilt-wearing heroes and corseted hero ...more
4 stars!
“Oh, and too bad Anastasia. You can’t give me a name that feels like music in my mouth and not expect me to revel in it.”
I love this series with all my heart. Adorable covers and adorable characters it has it all. Also this review uses the word 'adorable' a considerable amount because if I were to sum the book up in one word it would be that.
Stacey feels trapped in her own life, trapped in her job and trapped in her small town. Though she loves spending her summers at the local R ...more
“Oh, and too bad Anastasia. You can’t give me a name that feels like music in my mouth and not expect me to revel in it.”
I love this series with all my heart. Adorable covers and adorable characters it has it all. Also this review uses the word 'adorable' a considerable amount because if I were to sum the book up in one word it would be that.
Stacey feels trapped in her own life, trapped in her job and trapped in her small town. Though she loves spending her summers at the local R ...more
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it,
click here.
3.5 stars- While I was ultimately a little let down by this book, I want to say off the bat that the character work, setting, and overall writing is as strong as it was in the first book. In particular, I thought that Stacey's motivations of feeling "stuck" and not sure where she wants to take her life next rang very true to what most of go through at some point in our 20s, and I really liked the overall network of character dynamics that help her process through this phase of her life. I also f
...more
TITLE: WELL PLAYED
AUTHOR: Jen DeLuca
SERIES: Well Met #2
RELEASE DATE: September 22, 2020
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
THEMES & TROPES: Small Town Romance
RATING: 4 STARS
CLIFFHANGER: No
READ MY REVIEW ON THE BLOG
Back to the Ren Faire we go!
This book was one of my highly anticipated in 2020 and it delivered. Jen DeLuca is amazing at setting the atmosphere of the Willow Creek Faire - it feels like you are one of the patrons, strolling through the medieval streets, talking to wenches and pirates. I ...more
This was really cute! I definitely liked the first one better, but this one was a great follow up. I'm really looking forward to the next one
...more
I have to be honest, I'm a little disappointed about this one. It's not remotely a bad book but I expected more of the delight of book one's banter and chemistry to show up here and, due to circumstances of the meet/genesis of the relationship, we don't quite get it.
Stacey was really relateable character in a lot of ways; stuck in a small town, post-college plans derailed, days spent looking at the lives of others through social media or her phone and feeling like she's missed opportunities for ...more
Stacey was really relateable character in a lot of ways; stuck in a small town, post-college plans derailed, days spent looking at the lives of others through social media or her phone and feeling like she's missed opportunities for ...more
Ugh, y'all, I'm sorry. SO SORRY.
I wanted to be able to tell you that I absolutely adored this novel and that I thought it was the perfect sequel to Well Met (which I loved!).
Unfortunately, Jen DeLuca's Well Played fell a bit short for me. Don't get me wrong: I still really enjoyed this book; it's a 3.5-star novel for me. I loved that DeLuca incorporated Emily and Simon from the first book (though some might find them a little too prominent), and the fact that this story takes place over the cour ...more
I wanted to be able to tell you that I absolutely adored this novel and that I thought it was the perfect sequel to Well Met (which I loved!).
Unfortunately, Jen DeLuca's Well Played fell a bit short for me. Don't get me wrong: I still really enjoyed this book; it's a 3.5-star novel for me. I loved that DeLuca incorporated Emily and Simon from the first book (though some might find them a little too prominent), and the fact that this story takes place over the cour ...more
Check out my review on booktube: https://youtu.be/o6dji9C1X7k
...more
One of the best things I can say about books I read is that I didn’t take very many notes. I’m a highly critical reader, so typically I scribble down page after page of them. When I don’t, I know that I truly enjoyed something, and that, despite one glaring issue I had, is the case with Well Played.
I’m a big fan of nerdy romances, which this is, and I absolutely love the trope of miscommunication in the form of “Oh, no, I thought I was writing to this person, when really it was someone else enti ...more
3.5 stars
After reading and loving Well Met, I was beyond excited to get to this one. And while I did enjoy it, it wasn’t quite the same.
I liked Stacey well enough. She’s settled when she doesn’t want to be and it was easy to relate to her itch for something more. “Dex” was interesting and seemed nice. I did love seeing Emily and Simon get more of their HEA and of course Mitch and April were fun.
Plot wise, it was okay. I liked the conversations via text and email, but it felt more like being to ...more
After reading and loving Well Met, I was beyond excited to get to this one. And while I did enjoy it, it wasn’t quite the same.
I liked Stacey well enough. She’s settled when she doesn’t want to be and it was easy to relate to her itch for something more. “Dex” was interesting and seemed nice. I did love seeing Emily and Simon get more of their HEA and of course Mitch and April were fun.
Plot wise, it was okay. I liked the conversations via text and email, but it felt more like being to ...more
ARC provided by Berkley Romance.
Help! I’m a sucker for Renaissance faire romances set in small towns with soft characters and cute friendships :’)
We get to follow Stacey in this sequel/companion novel to Well Met. Well Met was one of my favorite reads of 2019, so I was extra excited for the opportunity to read this one early. I was already in love with the small town setting, and was so pleased to see we get to go back to the Ren faire.
This book had everything I wanted: cozy book shops with a c ...more
Help! I’m a sucker for Renaissance faire romances set in small towns with soft characters and cute friendships :’)
We get to follow Stacey in this sequel/companion novel to Well Met. Well Met was one of my favorite reads of 2019, so I was extra excited for the opportunity to read this one early. I was already in love with the small town setting, and was so pleased to see we get to go back to the Ren faire.
This book had everything I wanted: cozy book shops with a c ...more
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Jen DeLuca was born and raised near Richmond, Virginia, but now lives in Arizona 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.
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Well Met
(3 books)
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“But the chess field would be a great place to set up a wedding. Out in the woods, it would be all . . . I dunno, pretty. Picturesque.” I waved a hand; I wasn’t great with words.
“Pastoral,” Mitch supplied, and three pairs of wide eyes turned in his direction. He shrugged and took another swig of beer. “What, I have a vocabulary.”
“Apparently.” ”
—
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“Pastoral,” Mitch supplied, and three pairs of wide eyes turned in his direction. He shrugged and took another swig of beer. “What, I have a vocabulary.”
“Apparently.” ”
“I love cats... I’ve never had one myself, but they’ve always fascinated me. They’re these perfect little predators, yet we let them curl up on our laps like they wouldn’t eat our faces if we died in the night. Hmm, that got morbid. They’re also really soft, and I hear that sometimes they let you pet their bellies. I like that.”
—
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