Review: Well Matched by Jen DeLuca

Title: Well Matched by Jen DeLuca
Well Met Series Book Three
Publisher: Berkley
Genre: Contemporary, Romance
Length: 335 pages
Book Rating: B+

Complimentary Review Copy Provided by Publisher Through NetGalley

Summary:

A pretend relationship gives two friends more than they bargained for in a Renaissance Faire rom com filled with flower crowns, kilts, corsets, and sword fights.

Single mother April Parker has lived in Willow Creek for twelve years with a wall around her heart. On the verge of being an empty nester, she’s decided to move on from her quaint little town, and asks her friend Mitch for his help with some home improvement projects to get her house ready to sell.

Mitch Malone is known for being the life of every party, but mostly for the attire he wears to the local Renaissance Faire—a kilt (and not much else) that shows off his muscled form to perfection. While he agrees to help April, he needs a favor too: she’ll pretend to be his girlfriend at an upcoming family dinner, so that he can avoid the lectures about settling down and having a more “serious” career than high school coach and gym teacher. April reluctantly agrees, but when dinner turns into a weekend trip, it becomes hard to tell what’s real and what’s been just for show. But when the weekend ends, so must their fake relationship.

As summer begins, Faire returns to Willow Creek, and April volunteers for the first time. When Mitch’s family shows up unexpectedly, April pretends to be Mitch’s girlfriend again…and it doesn’t feel so fake anymore. Despite their obvious connection, April insists they’ve just been putting on an act. But when there’s the chance for something real, she has to decide whether to change her plans—and open her heart—for the kilt-wearing hunk who might just be the love of her life.

Review:

Well Matched by Jen DeLuca is a charming fake dating romance. This third addition to the Well Met series can be read as a standalone but I highly recommend the first two books as well.

With her daughter Caitlin heading off to college in just a few months, forty-year-old April Parker is planning ahead for her empty nest. A single mother, April is getting her house ready to sell so she can move closer to her work. She closely guards her heart in order to avoid getting hurt again so she does not date.  April is an introvert who is rather serious but she has loosened up a bit since her sister moved to town. She and Mitch Malone are social acquaintances but neither knows each other well. Will that change when April agrees to pose as his girlfriend at an upcoming family event?

Mitch is always cheerful and oozes charisma. He is a much-loved coach and gym teacher and he is great with kids. He is very involved in the annual Ren Faire and he is a fan favorite in the human chess event. Mitch is well liked by everyone and he has an extensive dating history. Which is why April is very surprised when he asks her to be his fake date at his grandparents’ anniversary dinner.

Because she always protects herself from getting hurt, April does not typically get to know anyone very well. This is true when it comes to Mitch so her opinion of him is a little superficial.  Needless to say, April is a little taken aback when she realizes that she has a lot to discover about her fake boyfriend.

Well Matched is a delightful romance that is quite steamy. April can be a bit frustrating at times, but she is an overall likable character. Mitch is self-confident but he also has his share of vulnerabilities. The storyline is engaging with realistic issues for April to overcome.  Over the summer, April and Mitch’s relationship takes an unexpected turn, but will she risk her heart again? With a conflict brewing late in the novel, Jen DeLuca brings this third installment in the Well Met series to a heartfelt conclusion.

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Filed under Berkley, Contemporary, Jen DeLuca, Rated B+, Review, Romance, Well Matched, Well Met Series

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