Well Traveled
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4.5 • 21 Ratings
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- $10.99
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- $10.99
Publisher Description
One of Amazon's Best Romances of December · An Indie Next Pick · A December LibraryReads Pick · A Shondaland Best Book of December
The Renaissance Faire is on the move, and Lulu and Dex are along for the ride, in the next utterly charming rom-com from Jen DeLuca.
A high-powered attorney from a success-oriented family, Louisa "Lulu" Malone lives to work, and everything seems to be going right, until the day she realizes it’s all wrong. Lulu’s cousin Mitch introduced her to the world of Renaissance Faires, and when she spies one at a time just when she needs an escape, she leaps into the welcoming environment of turkey legs, taverns, and tarot readers. The only drawback? Dex MacLean: a guitarist with a killer smile, the Casanova of the Faire… and her traveling companion for the summer.
Dex has never had to work for much in his life, and why should he? Touring with his brothers as The Dueling Kilts is going great, and he always finds a woman at every Faire. But when Lulu proves indifferent to his many plaid charms and a shake-up threatens the fate of the band, Dex must confront something he never has before: his future.
Forced to spend days and nights together on the road, Lulu’s interest in the kilted bad boy grows as he shows her a side of himself no one else has seen. The stresses of her old lifestyle fade away as she learns to trust her intuition and follow her heart instead of her head. But when her time on the road is over, will Lulu go with her gut, or are she and Dex destined for separate paths?
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
DeLuca returns to the Renaissance Faire circuit a fourth time (after Well Matched) in this charming contemporary romance. Corporate lawyer Louisa "Lulu" Malone heads to the Ren Faire to soak up some precious relaxation time. After her bosses call once too often during what's supposed to be her time off, she abruptly resigns by tossing her phone into the laundry wenches' tub. With an unprecedented amount of free time on her hands, she joins the crew of the Dueling Kilts, a band of Scottish musicians on the U.S. Ren Faire circuit. Accustomed to the 24/7 grind of trying (unsuccessfully) to make partner, Lulu quickly makes herself useful, helping several Ren Faire performers become more efficient and making friends along the way. She's also astute enough to realize that Dueling Kilts guitarist, Dex, has more depth than his easy smile and ladies' man reputation suggests. For his part, when Dex realizes that Lulu is open to getting to know him, he leaves one-night stands behind in favor of hanging with Lulu in the band's traveling camper, talking to her over s'mores and beer. DeLuca has a steady hand with this duo's slow-burning chemistry, making their connection feel entirely earned. Fans and new readers alike will be drawn in. Agent: Taylor Haggerty, Root Literary.
Customer Reviews
Delightful and fun
Four and a Half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒
Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca is the fourth book in her very popular Well Met series that focuses on a Renaissance fair. I just loved this new installment to the series and had to read this all in one day.
Story Recap:
Louisa "Lulu" Malone is a high-powered attorney who lives to work and is on track to make partner in the prestigious law firm where she works. While on a work trip, she takes some time to visit the local Renaissance Faire. She’s enjoyed visiting Faire’s ever since she went to one with her cousin Mitch.
When she gets one too many work calls on her day off at the Faire, she ditches her phone and quits her job. On the advice of her cousin, she finds a job at the Faire and travels with them until she can decide what she wants in life. The only flaw to her plan is Dex MacLean, a devastatingly handsome guitarist who is a ladies' man and has too many women after him to count.
Dex has never met a woman who is immune to his charms until he met Lulu. And he doesn’t know how to be just friends with such a beautiful woman, but that’s all she’s offering.
My Thoughts:
I loved going back to the Renaissance Faire and revisiting some of the characters from the previous books. I loved that this installment focused on Dex, who seemed to be such a one-dimensional character in the previous books, and in Well Traveled we learn that he has a lot more emotional depth than I had ever thought he could have. His love ‘em and leave ‘em attitude is just a cover for deeper emotional wounds, and we get to see how Lulu helps him unravel his issues.
Lulu is also a wounded character. She’s focused her entire life trying to please her parents and do what she thinks they want from her and in the process, she’s sacrificed any kind of social life she could have for herself. When she meets Dex, she immediately knows he’s not the kind of man for her, but their attraction is immediate and intense.
Recommendation:
I highly recommend Well Traveled to anyone who enjoys romance. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.