Audio Review: Well Met by Jen DeLuca ~ #COYER #bookclub

Well Met by Jen DeLuca
Narrator: Brittany Pressley
Series: Well Met #1
Published by Penguin Audio on 2019-09-03
Length: 9 hours and 45 minutes
Reviewing Audiobook from TN R.E.A.D.S.
Rating:
Reading Challenges: 2023 Audiobook Challenge, 2023 Backlist Reader Challenge, COYER 2023

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.

What a fun read! Well Met by Jen DeLuca is a contemporary romantic comedy about a young woman who moves to a small town to take care of her older sister and niece after her own life implodes. This story took me by surprise. I loved all the small town elements: everyone knowing everyone, mentions of things passed that are now traditions, no privacy 😂 and of course the quirky things that make a small town known. In this small town, it is their annual Renaissance Faire which serves as a fundraiser for the local school. When Emily discovers that her niece has to have an adult volunteer with her in order to participate, she can’t say no and disappoint her. That is how Emily finds herself training to be a tavern wench this summer and hilarity ensues.

I really enjoyed Emily. She is an easy character to relate to. In the beginning of the story, she has only been in town a few weeks. Her sister and niece are recovering from a car accident that severely injured her sister and mentally scarred her niece. Emily is trying to learn the ropes and balance a new routine of taking April to physical therapy and shuttle Cait to her school functions. When Emily finds herself roped into the Ren Faire, she doesn’t know what to expect. However, her almost English major background, her previous bar experience, and her own love of Shakespeare become an asset. If only she could avoid the person over the event.

Simon isn’t as easy to like as Emily. He’s serious, rarely smiles, and seems to have the weight of the world on his shoulders. When he criticizes Emily thinking she’s not taking the Faire seriously, the two become adversaries. Emily’s favorite thing to do at rehearsals is poke fun at Simon, and Simon has a tendency to poke back.

While I enjoyed Simon and Emily and absolutely loved how the author weaved in the Ren Faire, there are a few spots that left me wanting more. Lenore, one of the bloggers I buddy read with, pointed out that this book could have benefitted from the use of dual POV. I couldn’t agree with her more! Most of Simon and Emily’s good interactions are when they are in character at the Red Faire. When they aren’t in character, they can be kind of mean to each other, making their budding romance hard to buy into. Also character growth needed some work. Simon’s mostly happens off page so we have to trust that he’s worked his issues out. Emily’s comes super late in the story, almost as an afterthought, making it tough to believe.

Despite those issues, I really liked the story. Well Met is an easy read which left me smiling ear to ear. Simon and Emily’s banter as the pirate captain and tavern wench were spot on. The Ren Faire itself was a character in the story that I enjoyed seeing come to life. I opted to listen to the audiobook for this one and was NOT disappointed. Brittany Pressley has become one of my favorite narrators over the last year, and she delivers another amazing performance here. Highly recommend for fans of romance. Personally, looking forward to reading book two 😀

* I buddy read this book with Lenore @ Celebrity Readers and Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms. We were all in agreement, giving this one 4 stars.

Related Posts