Reviews

Well Played by Jen DeLuca

kelleycailin's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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? Yes

4.5

lbarsk's review

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4.0

Sorry I’m a goober and forgot to mark this as finished!! A really fun second book in the Maryland Renaissance Faire Romance Series by DeLuca. I think this is a 4 instead of a 5 for me because of Stacey’s stuff with her mom? And the way that sort of resolved... quickly I guess? Like the way she talked about that situation I figured it would take more than one conversation for her to feel okay leaving home. But the romance was hot!!! And the ending very sweet.

thephdivabooks's review

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4.0

If you haven’t read the first book in Jen DeLuca’s series, Well Met, you can still enjoy the sequel! I absolutely loved the first book though so I highly recommend reading both if you are interested. In fact, Well Met is probably one of my favorite contemporary romance books I’ve read.

I remember initially being unsure about the Renaissance Faire setting, but that is honestly one of the best parts of the series. The Faire is a bit campy, a lot of fun, and has that great throw back to bodice ripper romance novels while being funny and modern.

The second book follows Stacey, who is a fellow wench with Emily from the first book at the Ren Faire. Stacey is in a bit of a funk as Well Played opens. She has been stuck in Willow Creek and her enjoyment mainly comes from flirting each summer at the Renaissance Faire. She decides that maybe one of her summer flings could be something a bit more when she gets an email during the off season from hunky Dex, a member of the Dueling Kilts.

To Stacey’s surpise, the email is quite sweet, and the two begin corresponding. It doesn’t feel like the Dex she knew, but maybe he has grown up a bit or truly fallen for her. Stacey feels lonely now that she’s seen Emily and Simon find love, so she leans into her blooming relationship with Dex. But after months of intimate correspondence, Stacey realizes that all along she wasn’t to Dex, she was writing to his cousin Daniel.

Daniel is sweet, a bit shy, and nothing like the rogueish Dex. Daniel lacks the huge ego of Dex, but he also lied to her. In real life this would have red flags written all over it, but in the context of a fiction book it doesn’t read that way at all. In fact it is clear that Daniel is the type of man Stacey needs.

I found this sweet, entertaining, and a fast read. It didn’t quite live up to the first one, but that would have been nearly impossible to do. It still had the great setting, fantastic writing, signature humor, and charm as the first book. A bingeable follow up to DeLuca’s first hit!

yarn_chicken's review

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4.0

3.5 stars rounded up. Predictable, yes, but enjoyable. I enjoy the reader of the audiobook.

charli_d's review against another edition

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emotional funny 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? Yes

3.0

marisa752's review

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3.75

same comments as the first book, except BRO what was Daniel doing???? idk it was just so ridiculous and deceptive that I couldn't fully enjoy some parts of the book. but apart from that, I did really like both the MCs

brittradomski's review

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funny reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.0

nodoze's review

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lighthearted fast-paced

4.0

sarloz221's review against another edition

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emotional hopeful 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

3.5

cassroberts89's review

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funny hopeful lighthearted 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

4.25

Cute!! I liked this better than Well Met. I’m glad I found Jen DeLuca to get me out of a reading slump.

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