#well matched

[howifeltabouthim]

They were well matched: he, so good and noble; she, so lovely and endearing.

Ellen Wood, from East Lynne

[amandaprahl]

for as much as i read (and write about) the romance genre now, i think some people might be surprised that i really started reading actual genre romance a few years ago.

i clearly remember browsing a bookstore one day. i had just finished an mfa program where I found myself constantly having to defend my pop culture and artistic choices against snobbery from my “edgier” peers, and that had an impact on even what i chose for myself. and then i saw this adorable, pastel, cartoony book, picked it up, and it had everything i love. a romance inspired by ren faires (and sexy captain hook from ouat), packed with lit nerd jokes and amazing banter? sign me up! and that, really, was my gateway into falling in love with genre romance, not just books with romantic subplots.

so as i start making these embroidered pieces based on book covers, it only seemed right to make on based on that book: WELL MET by Jen DeLuca, with cover art by Colleen Reinhart . cheers to them, to this series, and to the world of romance books everywhere 💕

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[nerdynatreads]

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book review || Well Matched by Jen DeLuca

video review || Final Book Support Group 48 hr Readathon -- Reading Vlog Issue 208

Okay, I think this might actually be my favorite of the series so far. I really appreciate that we saw an older, divorcee heroine as the main character. April felt very rounded out and realistic based on her life experience. The struggles we see her dealing with really made her as the heroine, and this romance, stand out.

Especially loved seeing more about April as a single mom, her divorce, and her relationship with Caitlin, her daughter.

I’ve loved Mitch since the first book and was so glad we finally were getting to see more of his character beneath his ever-happy exterior. Although we don’t see from his POV, he also feels well created, fits with everything we’ve seen of him previously, and has some strong development throughout the book.

The small dose of them we got in the last book was what had me excited and from the start, I was hooked by their back and forth. The chemistry was good, but I could have gone for a little more before our first spicy scene. The sexual tension was also impeccable, particularly after April gets involved with the faire.

With this being fake dating, I still found myself eye-rolling at some of the inner dialogue regarding it, but it didn’t feel overdone, thankfully. Always love an only one-bed trope though.

The pacing and overall plot felt a bit off though, taking me out of the story with the back and forth between Mitch’s family reunion, April’s house renovations, Caitlin graduating high school, and the renaissance faire. It felt disjointed and didn’t flow between all of these well at times.

All in all though, really enjoyed this and am even more excited for the next installment!

4 / 5 stars

[caitsbooks]

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[myownlittlebookcorner]

It wasn’t real ... Nothing more than a weekend hanging off of one of Mitch Malone’s giant biceps, doing my damndest to throw enough loving glances his way to fool every member of his family.

Oh god, this was going to be a disaster.

Well Matched // Jen DeLuca

[deiumjeito]

aesthetic | Well Matched by Jen DeLuca

[lastseenleaving]

Favourite romance covers

Well Met: 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?

Well Played: 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 figured out by the time her friends get hitched at Faire next summer. Maybe she'll even find The One.

Well Matched: 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.

[bangbangwhoa]

books I’ve read in 2021 📖 no. 064

Well Matched by Jen DeLuca

“I painted that wall because this house is my home. Willow Creek is my home. I’m not going anywhere. You are my home.”