Well Matched

By: Jen DeLuca

Narrated by: Brittany Pressley

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 12 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.

©2021 Jen DeLuca (P)2021 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A great comfort read. Warm, sweet, and hopeful, Well Matched is about daring to come out of your shell and building the life you always wanted." (Helen Hoang, USA Today best-selling author of The Heart Principle)

“This series is one of my ultimate comfort reads. I knew I’d adore April and Mitch together, but I didn’t realize how deeply obsessed with them I’d be. Well Matched is for anyone whose life hasn’t gone according to plan, and about all the joys that come with veering off course. Warm and witty, sweet and sexy — this tender hug of a book is Jen DeLuca at her best.” (Rachel Lynn Solomon, national best-selling author of The Ex Talk)

“Jen Deluca writes with exceptional warmth. Well Matched is cozy, sweet, and brimming with charm. It’s such a joy to go back to the faire with Mitch and April!” (Rosie Danan, national best-selling author of The Intimacy Experiment)

A light-hearted Rom-Com with surprising depths.

I went into this book expecting a very light fun read. And while I was highly entertained, I was also unwittingly engaged by the depth of the story and how different the characters were from what I knew of them from their secondary characters in the previous books in this series.

Hunky, kilt-wearing, gym teacher, and ladies' man Mitch Malone is much more than I thought. I knew he was a great guy, but a bit of a player. What I forgot or didn't recognize is that he is also an awesome friend and mentor. Both Mitch and April have hangups they need to deal with, but they are friends. When Mitch needs a girlfriend for a family dinner and April needs some help rehabbing her house, the two make a deal to help each other out. That's where things begin. The chemistry between the two grows, and soon they have problems discerning how much is real, and how much is fake. The fact that they have a hard time keeping their hands to themselves doesn't help their situation any.

I love this book. I first read it as an ebook for NetGalley, then listened to it for my own enjoyment. The narrator does an outstanding job with all the various voices and accents. I always knew who was speaking. I highly recommend this book in any form to anyone who likes Rom-Coms, Renaissance Faires, men-in-kilts, and women in corsets.

two thumbs up

I have truly loved this series, and it was awesome to see a story from April’s perspective. I’ve always enjoyed her snark. And Mitch?! Yowza. His character has always been a comedic outlet, but it was such a delight to have his personality show true dimension. While the Ren Faire is still part of this story (because it’s big annual event in the characters’ lives), most of this story takes place outside of just those Faire weekends. This story is a lighthearted comedy, and I didn’t want it to end.

Naturally, Brittany Pressley did a stellar job (doesn’t she always?), and I’m happy she’s continues to be the voice for this series.

The April Story You Didn’t Know You Needed!

Jen DeLuca does not disappoint, I’m so glad she has kept this story up and cannot wait for the next Ren Fair! Huzzah!

It’s cute, but it’s not as good as the first

I feel like some of the humor and chemistry that I love about the first book isn’t really here. It was fun, but it just kept dragging on.

So cute!

This was such a cute book. Even though RomComs are predictable… this was such a fun book that I didn’t want to put down. 🙂

Favorite of the series

Well Matched is my favorite installment of the Well Met series & the narrator is fantastic!

They keep getting better and better!

It was great to return back to Willow Creek, and this time with more outside of Ren Faire. Jen has created a sweet little world full of characters that are so easy to fall in love with and root for. Brittney Presley is the best narrator and I’m so glad she’s been the voice of this audiobook series. I definitely recommend this book if you love romantic comedy and just love to fall in love.

fun

this is a fun sequel to her series. nice to visit the characters again.

Escape to Willow Creek

This was a great escape on a winter day. It was a chance to go out in public to a Renaissance Faire, a bookstore, school functions, and a bar. There is more to Mitch than a fun loving, kilt-wearing, cheerful guy and to April as Emily’s older sister and Caitlyn’s mother. I enjoyed Mitch and April’s story as April’s daughter graduates from high school and starts her new life at college. It’s now April’s time to move on and find out where home is.

All good things…

A really nice ending to a fun trilogy. Mitch had always been a fun character to engage with- and he doesn’t disappoint here. It would have been nice to have a bit more interaction with his family, but this really was April’s story. I got frustrated with her character more than once, but appreciated the journey she was on and happy she grew/changes as her own person during the story arc. While ‘Well’ stories are full of romance, I found they were more about the lives of these 3 women and their realizing their own power and freedoms- they had choices if they were brave enough to go for it. A lesson well with learning for everyone of us.