Release Day Review: Under the Iron Sky by A.T. Emerald

A fallen empire. A warrior determined to protect her people. And the masked soldier who captures her behind enemy lines. This is the first novel in a dark, seductive, and all-consuming trilogy where hope is fickle but the fight is never over.

This deluxe hardcover features a reversible dust jacket, a foil-stamped book case, and stunningly designed endpapers!

About the Book

Vordell was beautiful once. Its people lived in harmony, and their civilization flourished as they learned to harness and control the power of Light.

Then the darkness came.

The Iron Sky unfolded dark clouds across the land, thick enough to choke out the light of the suns. The ground cracked, releasing vicious creatures and evil magic-wielding soldiers. The Dar’rak—an enemy long believed to be buried and forgotten—returned to claim the world above.

Soraya Tollmere has spent most of her life on the front lines of the brutal war that followed. Now a high-ranking commander, she knows loss better than anyone.

By day, she leads troops across ruined landscapes and guides covert teams through enemy territory. By night, she meets with a Dar’rak defector who has kept humanity alive with his steady stream of secrets.

On a mission to investigate his latest lead—one that could turn the tide of the war—Soraya is captured by the Demon, the Dar’rak’s most feared soldier, his true identity unknown.

His orders are simple: Break the human commander and uncover where the humans are keeping a weapon that could win them the war. But as he gets to know the fierce warrior, the lines between interrogator and enemy, prisoner and ally, begin to blur.

Devastating truths surface and loyalties shatter, forcing Soraya to decide who to trust in a world where Light is dying—and where her greatest enemy may be her only salvation.

Quotes

“Funny, how the world could be broken and remade in just a few short seconds.” - pg 111

“She was fire and Light, a burning flame in this hellhole of darkness, and there was nothing he could do to stop her.” - pg 224

“. . . she could’ve been one of the suns, torn straight from the sky and made flesh to wreak havoc on this world. She was the most terrifying thing he'd ever seen–and the most beautiful.” - pg 225

“ You know what, human,” he stated, lighting it with a match, “if it weren’t for this war, and the very existence of you and your kind didn’t threaten the extinction of mine, I might have liked you.” - pg 367

“They were like the sun and moon, slowly circling each other, each fighting for their chance to eclipse the other.” - pg 367

“They were so different in blood and upbringing, on different sides of the war facing opposite directions, but more alike than she’d ever expected.” - pg 394

My Review

100 Stars!

Under the Iron Sky is a masterpiece of fantasy literature!

I was absolutely blown away!

The book blurb does an amazing job of summarizing the book and I didn’t want to add anything else to the description because I want readers to experience all the surprises themselves. And there are a lot, not to mention a badass FMC we’d all hope to be like.  

The storytelling is elaborate, riveting, and inviting! I was completely enthralled! 

I gasped, cringed, cried, stared at the pages in disbelief, and just about had to throw the book out the window more than once, saying, “she (the author) better NOT do that to this character or that one!” 

I grieved, I was betrayed, I felt hopeless, and I grasped at the small joys that were found during this awful war.

This book broke my heart!

I became SO invested in these characters that when they suffered, I suffered right alongside them. 

The first half of the book was laying the foundation of the storyline through the author’s meticulous world building.

The second half of the book is gripping, action packed, and full of secrets so earth shattering, they threaten the stability of an entire civilization! I couldn't put the book down! 

A.T. Emerald is a fresh voice in the genre. I am completely enamored with her storytelling and I cannot WAIT for the next book! 

Under the Iron Sky is one of the best books I’ve ever read and I highly recommend it!

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read an early copy of the book generously provided by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.

Purchase Links*

Penguin Random House

About the Author

A. T. Emerald lives with her husband and baby daughter in Nottinghamshire, England. She discovered her love of writing in 2020 and has not shut up about enemies-to-lovers ever since. She loves iced matchas, torrid love confessions with knives pressed to throats (fictional, of course) and does not accept bills for any therapy her books might incur. Learn more at www.instagram.com/at.emerald/

*Third party links to the publisher's website. May contain affiliate links.

Blog Tour Spotlight: Love You To Death by Jenna Levine

A jaded grim reaper and a woman who wants another chance at life give ‘til death do us part a new meaning in this paranormal romance from bestselling author Jenna Levine.

About the Book

Lucy McKenzie’s life has always been a disaster. So it should come as no surprise when one day she’s hit by an inconveniently-timed bus—and dies. Unfortunately for the handsome grim reaper who shows up to take her to the afterlife, Lucy is not about to go quietly.

Danil is tired of his job collecting souls. While working for the Agency beats the heck out of going to Hell, he’s been doing this for literal ages. The drudgery has him yearning for more.  Touched by Lucy’s plea for more time on earth, he convinces the Agency to make a deal: Lucy can have six more weeks of life if Daniel can observe her and report back on humanity. 

But as Lucy and Daniel navigate the chaos of life and afterlife together, they discover that a second chance at living might be their real chance at love.

Excerpt

 

~ Lucy~

Of all the embarrassing things I’ve done in my life, ducking behind a stranger at a workplace retirement party so my boss doesn’t see me has to be in the top ten.

“Don’t move,” I instruct, crouching down low enough in my seat that the man’s conveniently broad shoulders block me from view.

He freezes. “What are you doing?” His voice is very deep and rough around the edges, like he hasn’t used it in a while. It’s a sexy voice, a fact I’d maybe dwell on if we weren’t at a work event and the night hadn’t already gone to shit.

“Let’s just say that if I believed in Hell,” I explain, from behind this thankfully accommodating stranger, “I would currently be in its seventh circle.”

The guy makes an oddly strangled sound but says nothing.

My boss, Professor Elizabeth Skellar, stands less than five feet away as she scans the hotel ballroom. From the determined set of her jaw I know she’s looking for whoever forgot to bring the plaque honoring Professor Shiran’s fifty years of service to Tennessee College. The same plaque she was supposed to present to him five minutes ago in front of this stodgy crowd of professors, Prof. Shiran’s family, and a handful of university staff like me who couldn’t get out of being here.

But Skellar couldn’t present anything when Prof. Shiran took the stage because there wasn’t anything to present. Because I forgot the plaque at the office.

I’d known I was supposed to bring it. I’d even written it down in my Notes app. Sometimes, though, even writing things down isn’t enough keep me from screwing something up. I’m probably the worst admin Skellar has ever had—but forgetting the plaque for tonight’s guest of honor is a new low, even for me.

As I continue hiding in plain sight, Professor Skellar walks past us without looking in our direction. Only when she gets a drink from the bar and returns to her seat on the other side of the room do I let out a sigh of relief and get my first good look at the person I’ve been using as a Shield.

I nearly choke on my tongue.

I don’t know why this guy appeared beside me at this table reserved for university staff when everyone else abandoned it an hour ago. He’s the most handsome man I’ve ever seen. No — handsome doesn’t do him justice. This guy is hot. So hot it almost hurts to look at him. Dark, artfully messy hair that all but demands to have fingers running through it. Ice blue eyes. I’d already noticed the life-saving broad shoulders of course, but I hadn’t noticed the way his torso tapers down to a narrow waist. Or this man’s very long legs.

Or the way his cheekbones are so sharp they could cut glass.

His charcoal grey suit looks like it cost more money than I make in a month as an administrative assistant and way more than an econ professor at Tennessee College would spend on clothes. He can’t be staff, or I’d recognize him. He’s also not family of the retiring professor, sitting way back here; Shiran’s family is all sitting together at the front table.

At least I look good tonight, thanks to my sister Jess, who took me under her wing the way she always does. My shoulder-length light-brown hair and makeup are on point. And the dress she lent me—a gorgeous black sheath dress with cap sleeves that fits me like it’s mine—gives me a confidence I rarely feel.

“Hey,” I say, tapping into that false confidence. Trying for sultry, but probably failing. It’s me we’re talking about. He’s glowering down at a note card, his jaw doing that hot guy clenching thing that hot guy’s jaws always seem to do in romance novels. “What’s your name?”

A pair of ice blue eyes snap to mine. They widen a little, as though the question startles him. “My name?”

I nod at our otherwise vacant table. “A few minutes ago I was the only one here. Now you’re here too. An introduction seems appropriate.” And I’d like to know who I’m about to hit on. “I’m Lucy McKenzie. And you are?”

“I know who you are.”

“Oh,” I say, surprised. “Are you in the econ department too?” He looks like he’s in his early thirties. Maybe he’s a new faculty hire after all.

“No.” His eyes go distant, as if he’s trying to answer a difficult question. “As for my name, it’s… Daniel?” His sentence turns up at the end, like he’s not sure about it.

“Are you asking me if your name is Daniel or telling me?”

A beat passes. “Telling you?” He doesn’t seem too certain of that, either. Being hot like burning clearly hasn’t make him immune to being strange.

“Daniel’s a nice name,” I tell him. His shoulders relax a little, as though my liking his name is a relief. “What brings you to my table at the very back of this lovely ballroom?”

He stares at me like a deer caught in headlights.

“This table is for the unlucky hourly employees who have to be here,” I clarify. I don’t tell him that my coworkers—including Eleanor, my work bestie—found more interesting places to be once the open bar started. It’s probably obvious; we’re the only two people here now. “Do you work here?”

“No.”

For a second I wonder if he’s a party crasher. But that’s ridiculous. Who would be lame enough to crash this party? Then again, I don’t remember Daniel from the formal retirement ceremony that afternoon. If I’d so much as caught a glimpse of this man out of my peripheral vision I’d remember him.

I try again. “What’s your connection to Professor Shiran?”

He shifts awkwardly in his seat. He clearly doesn’t want to be having this conversation. “No connection.” His gaze sharpens on me with an intensity that could cut stone. “There is someone here I have business with.”

“Business?”

He nods slowly, ice blue eyes still locked on mine.

Excerpted from Love You to Death by Jenna Levine Copyright © 2026 by Jenna Levine. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Purchase Links*

Penguin Random House

About the Author

Photo © Berkley Romance (TR) 2023

By day, Jenna Levine works to increase access to affordable housing in the American South. By night, she's the USA Today bestselling author of humorous paranormal romances where the characters always find love, no matter who (or what) they are. When Jenna isn't writing, she can be found starting knitting projects she probably won't finish, imagining she is hiking somewhere beautiful, or spending time with her family and small army of cats. 

*Third party links to the publisher's website. May contain affiliate links.

Blog Tour Spotlight: Entities to Lovers by Mallory Marlowe

A connection that’s more than supernatural emerges between two rival tour guides who wish they could ghost each other in this sparkling romantic comedy from USA Today bestselling author Mallory Marlowe.

About the Book

Paranormal medium Rory Woods spends her days offering psychic readings at Ye Olde Spirit Shop and nights haunting the streets of Boston as a ghost-tour guide. Sure, business could be better, but she’s proud of the shop she runs with her mom. 

 Enter Ezra Blackwell: adjunct history professor, noted thorn in Rory’s side, and—though she’d only admit it under threat of medieval torture he surely knows too much about—a distractingly handsome, charismatic coworker.

Rory can’t stand Ezra’s know-it-all, show-offy behavior. Ezra loves to tease the gorgeous, brilliant medium at the shop. And when the two are forced to host a tour together? It’s no wonder they end up hexed after disturbing a matchmaking ghost.

Saddled with perpetual bad luck unless they’re physically near each other, Rory and Ezra will try anything, from séances to kissing, to stop the jinx from wreaking havoc on both their lives. But in their quest to appease the spirit, they realize that growing closer might not be the curse they once thought it was.

Excerpt

 

I push open the door and the antique skeleton key mobile jingles above. Ye Olde Spirit Shop was always meant to be a haven. My great-aunt Vera passed away shortly after I was born, bequeathing my mother a large sum of money. She and my mom were both black sheep of their family in a way-strange, spiritual, and ferociously curious about things they didn't understand. My mother felt the best way to honor her memory was to open a place that could become a gathering spot for Boston's paranormal community.

Not only do we sell antiques and oddities that change hands, we collaborate with local artisans to sell soaps, spell supplies, tarot cards, and books on all things otherworldly. The store is small, but packed to the gills with the unfamiliar. Display cases line the walls, each containing aged brooches, preserved specimens, withered photos and paintings with peculiar provenances, and much more.

While my peers had stuffed animals and Barbie dolls in their playrooms, I grew up surrounded by taxidermy woodland creatures and filled my company with haunted dolls and relics, breathing in the smell of antiques, aged cedar, and sage.

I run my medium business out of a tiny alcove inside, separated by a draping scarlet curtain. It contains a séance table, a bureau full of my incense, tarot cards, and a collection of my favorite maybe-haunted paintings hanging on the walls.

As I reach the front counter, a rocking chair creaks behind me, and I turn. Not only did my mom inherit money from Vera, but she also inherited many of her possessions-including Clementine.

I kneel before the porcelain doll. Some might call Clementine horrifying on account of her absent, beady black eyes and painted-on smile. They just haven't gotten on her good side.

"Whatcha got for me, girl?" I ask.

Clementine holds a purple primrose in her tiny hand. No one's ever been able to explain it, but Clementine has the supernatural ability to offer people gifts (if she likes them). For me, it's often flowers. She must know I like making little salves and pouches for spells and protection, but I have a special place for her gifts.

"Thank you, Clementine," I tell her, and retreat to my alcove. I open the small scrapbook I've kept for years, find a blank spot, and press Clementine's flower into it with a smile.

I check the grandfather clock in the corner. Just a few more minutes before I've got to greet my next tour group.

I part the beaded curtain leading to our dressing rooms. The ghost tours were my idea. Everything from the black trolleys to the old-fashioned costumes and ghostly makeup is a performance. We allow each guide to create their own persona, alter their costume to their liking, and play the part however they wish, so long as they're getting the history right. Sometimes, I swear I'm more comfortable as Kitty O'Brien than Rory Woods. Kitty is fun, lively, and brave. Things I've never been able to master myself. Kitty isn't weighed down by anxiety and insecurities, and she doesn't fear rejection the way I do. People are enraptured by her stories and peculiarities. Rory, though, never feels like Enough.

I pop open my locker. I'm halfway through applying a new coat of Midnight Plum lip stain when the beaded curtain rustles again and I'm hit with the smell of razor-sharp citrus and leather. I don't have time to groan before Ezra Blackwell-the store's most popular and my least favorite tour guide-saunters in. He buttons his black satin waistcoat with his embroidered violet and charcoal jacket slung over his shoulder. He takes his place in front of the full-length mirror behind me.

"Evening, Ms. O'Brien," he says. His accent stops short of mid-Atlantic, but is deep and proper posh nevertheless. He's astonishingly good with dialects and has tried out a few in his time at the Spirit Tours. This is the one he stuck with. "Looking particularly dead this evening."

Our eyes meet in the mirror. He smirks.

Simply put, Ezra Blackwell looks like he would not survive the Industrial Revolution. He's below average height-though everything feels tall to my five feet-with a lean body of sharp angles. On his head, there's a shock of dark hair that curls at the ends.

Everything about him is an unpredictable danger, from the occasionally painted nails to the silver hoop earring hugging his cartilage, and the myriad of black tattoos peeking from his rolled-up sleeves.

It's particularly dangerous because I am alarmingly into all of that.

Excerpted from Entities to Lovers by Mallory Marlowe Copyright © 2026 by Mallory Marlowe. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

Purchase Links*

Penguin Random House

About the Author

Photo © by Chandra Wicke Photography

Mallory Marlowe is an author and video game writer living in Los Angeles, California. Seriously right-brained since childhood, her love of telling stories began with highly elaborate plots for her Barbie dolls and taking elementary school writing projects too seriously. She studied Writing for Film and TV at Emerson College. When she isn’t writing, she’s likely reading, stuck in LA traffic, or has fallen down a weird internet rabbit hole. Learn more at www.mallorymarlowe.com

*Third party links to the publisher's website. May contain affiliate links.

Blog Tour & Review: Well Versed by Jen DeLuca

Happy Release Day Jen DeLuca!

Well Versed is the fifth and final book in Jen's Well Met series.

It's a fun and heartfelt series and I highly recommend all the books!

About the Book

It’s a second chance at first love at the Renaissance Faire, where the search for a new queen shapes a destiny, from USA Today bestselling author Jen DeLuca.

Caitlin Parker was eighteen when she fell out of love with the magic of the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire—the site of her first real heartbreak. But now, twenty-four and unemployed, she finds herself in her childhood bedroom and her childhood lady-in-waiting costume, assisting a rotating cast of substitute queens for the season. The very last person she wants to see is Alexander Wright—the sword-fighting, Shakespeare-spouting young man who won and broke her teenage heart. Yet there he is, older, annoyingly hotter, and back on stage at her Faire.

When Alex broke things off with Caitlin the first time, he thought he was just ending a summer fling. He didn't realize how much he’d fallen for her until he let her go, and he certainly didn't know he’d tarnished her memories of her cherished Faire and worse, shattered her view on love and relationships. His need to right that wrong this summer brings them together again and again, and this time, it won’t be so easy to let go of this summer fling.

But as summer winds down, real life is catching up to both of them. Caitlin’s always thought that being an adult with adult responsibilities means leaving whimsy behind. Alex, with a life full of stage combat, songs, and sonnets, doesn’t know how to live any other way. Can they go after their dreams and find a future together where they can still say “huzzah”?

Excerpt

 

It was day one of the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire, and I was somewhere I swore I’d never be again.

On cast and in costume.

“Caitlin . . .” Behind me, my best friend Nina Pritchard’s voice held a ton of warning in just one word. She clamped my head between her hands and positioned it where she wanted it.

"Sorry." I shifted on my rickety folding metal chair, trying to find steady ground beneath me. There was a root around here somewhere, throwing everything off-kilter. "Sorry," I said again as Nina gave an exasperated sigh.

"Yeah, yeah." But her voice was warm as she clucked her tongue and got back to work braiding my hair. I couldn't help but smile.

"No more moving, I promise."

"Have I mentioned that I'm glad you're back?" When we were in high school, Nina and I had volunteered for the renaissance faire every summer. Now she was the dance captain. And apparently the de facto hair braider, since the one who'd come down from her booth was still doing the Queen's hair, and it was almost time for opening gate. We were all running late today.

"Don't get used to it," I warned. "I'm just helping out this weekend."

There was a snort from beside me, and I shifted my gaze as far to the right as I could without moving my head. In a similar rickety chair beside me, Toby Patterson was lacing up his second boot. "You say that now," he said darkly. "But this place has a way of sucking you in."

He wasn't wrong, and he and Nina were living proof. While a large part of the cast every summer consisted of high school students volunteering their time, there were also people like Toby and Nina, who'd graduated with me seven years ago. Now we were well into our twenties, yet every summer they were back, donning both the outfits and the accents. There were people around here who'd volunteered for even longer.

Not me, though. I'd sworn off the Willow Creek Renaissance Faire when I was nineteen, even before I left home. I'd told everyone who would listen that I was done with this place. And now, here I was. Back again like I'd never even left.

"It's just this once," I said to Toby, a stubborn edge in my voice. It bore repeating. I wasn't back. Not really. I was just holding up my end of a complicated bargain. Toby held up defensive hands. "Hey, I'm grateful, believe me."

"So am I," the Queen chimed in from her seat beside me. I looked to my left, where my Aunt Emily was in full regalia, all blue brocade and red and gold silks. She tried to shake her head, but the braider behind her gave a little growl. We were both being held prisoner while the women behind us worked on our hairstyles. "There's no way Toby and I can do this without you," she continued.

That seemed to be laying it on a little thick, but Toby gave a solemn nod. "As the Queen's royal guard, I have to walk up ahead and do my 'make way for the Queen' Schtick."

"Leaving me all by myself," Emily chimed in. "I can barely remember the gate speech, much less where I'm supposed to be any given moment."

"And the Queen has a very full schedule." I sighed; I got it. "You're supposed to have Ladies-in-waiting."

"Exactly," he said. "And now we do." He looked pointedly at me, and I sighed again. God, I really didn't want to be here.

But it wasn't like I had anywhere else to go. People who were unemployed and had moved back home in disgrace rarely did. I'd expected Mom to charge me rent, but to my surprise she'd said I could stay for free.

I should have known that offer would become a bargaining chip. And when Simon and Emily had come over last night, I knew that they were coming to cash in that chip. And now here I was, shepherding Emily through her day as the Queen.

"I was a lady-in-waiting one time," I reminded Toby. "When I was fourteen. I'm really the best you could get?"

"On such short notice?" He nodded emphatically.

"We haven't had a lot of ladies-in-waiting recently," Emily said apologetically. "Chris knew the role like the back of her hand, and it wasn't really necessary."

I hadn't been home long enough to catch up on the local gossip, but I'd known this one: Miss Chris, our Queen since the Faire had started, had moved away and abdicated her role. So now Emily was filling in, and I'd been drafted.

"Cheer up," Nina said. "What better way to spend the summer than here with us ren faire lunatics, am I right?" She practically sang with delight as her fingers twisted my hair, tugging gently, and I couldn't help but snort in response.

'Lunatics' is one word for it." Toby stood and reached for his sword belt on the folding table to my left. "It was one thing when we were kids, doing this for extra credit in the summer." He cinched the belt around his waist, tugging down his linen shirt and then adjusting the fabric of his jerkin so that it lay right. "Now we're taking on an unpaid part-time job during the hottest weekends of the year."

"Running around the woods in pretty clothes," Nina said, reframing the concept with her usual optimism. "Flirting with pirates, cheering on knights in armor, hot women in corsets. It all sounds good to me."

"Yeah, well." If Nina sounded like sunshine, I was a thundercloud. "Be careful who you flirt with." I was speaking from experience, and they both knew it.

"Ohhhh." Toby blew out the word like a breath. "You're talking about Alex."

Excerpted from Well Versed by Jen DeLuca Copyright © 2026 by Jen DeLuca. Excerpted by permission of Berkley. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.

My Review

Well Versed is full of growing pains, sweaty summer angst, RenFaire hijinks, secret kisses, and pages filled with all our favorite Well Met characters. 

Caitlin has grown up before our eyes in the Well Met series. From that shy teen full of hope and whimsy to a beautiful young adult with a head for IT, zero job prospects, and cynical views of love and the home town RenFaire. My heart totally hurt for Caitlin. 

Alex is a new character in the series and he doesn’t start out on good footing. He broke our Caitlin’s heart! He should be in shackles in the RenFaire’s town square for all to see his shame! Dramatic much? Maybe a little. I definitely didn’t like him at the beginning, but as his story unfolded and I learned about his life, I began to soften–just a little–towards the bright young man. 

Caitlin truly had a village to help support her as she navigates this hiccup in her life and as she reconciles the heartache of her 18-year-old self through the lens of her 24-year-old hindsight. The author really does a tremendous job with Caitlin’s character growth. It was beautifully done!

Well Versed is a bittersweet end to the series. While I am so very sad it is ending, I’m happy Caitlin, Emily, Simon, and the crew will forever be immortalized in print. 

Thank you Jen DeLuca for creating this magical world with wonderful characters we can all see ourselves in, and for the love stories that we all wish were our own. 

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by the publisher via Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.

Purchase Links*

Penguin Random House

About the Author

Photo: © Morgan H. Lee 2023

Jen DeLuca is the USA Today bestselling author of the Well Met series, which was inspired by her time volunteering as a pub wench with her local Renaissance Faire. She loves Publix chicken tender subs, cold brew coffee, and the Oxford comma. Jen lives in the Arizona desert with her husband, their rescue dog, and almost too many cats. Learn more at www.jendeluca.com

*Third party links to the publisher's website. May contain affiliate links.

Review: Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca

Well Traveled is Book #4 in Jen DeLuca's
Well Met Renaissance Faire romance series!

About the Book

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?

My Review

Wow! I am so happy to be back in the RenFaire world!

I had a lot of preconceived notions about this book and was very skeptical about having Dex as the leading man. He’s been portrayed as a ladies’ man throughout the series and has been known to have a woman (or more) at every RenFaire. While Dex makes no promises other than a good time while he’s with a partner, it’s hard to see him as anything other than what he is. And if you’ve read Book 2, Well Played, you’ll know what I mean. It was hard for me to see Dex as anything but a sexy guy with a guitar…. but after reading Well Traveled, Ms. DeLuca has proven me wrong!

Lulu Malone is a strong heroine on a journey of self-discovery. After her professional life blows up in an extraordinary way, her cousin Mitch encourages Lulu to take some time to figure things out, and what better way to do that than riding along on the RenFaire circuit with Mitch’s friend Stacey and The Dueling Kilts, a RenFaire traveling family band with hot guys in kilts. Lulu begrudgingly agrees to go off-grid and enjoy time in the sun and lending a hand at the weekend RenFaires. What she DOESN’T want is to be hit on by the RenFaire bad boy and guitar-playing singer of the band, Dex.

Dex MacLean is a singer/guitar player for his family’s band, The Dueling Kilts. He’s super sexy, super talented, an unabashed flirt and an unrepentant ladies’ man. But there’s so much more to him than a killer smile and a guitar. I’ll let you discover that for yourselves 😉

Lulu and Dex together is an explosion of fiery passion that’s physically palpable! Their chemistry is off the charts and they absolutely made sense together. Lulu was able to see what others couldn’t, that Dex is a talented man full of heart and light and has a fierce intelligence. He has a quiet insight that’s often lost or misconstrued in the world around him but Lulu sees right through Dex’s dumb hunk routine. I promise you’ll fall hard and fast for Dex, and I NEVER thought I would be saying that out loud!

Well Traveled also depicts the whimsical and taxing lifestyle of a RenFaire traveler. What I really loved about the story was that these travelers are such a charming and diverse community that look out for and help each other. These lovingly and beautifully crafted characters and the rich descriptions of a Renaissance Faire feel just like coming home. It’s easy to get lost in the whimsy and magic of the story and I absolutely did! And I can’t wait for the next RenFaire romance!

I highly recommend this and every book by Jen DeLuca!

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by the publisher in 2022 in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.

Purchase Links*

Penguin Random House

About the Author

Photo: © Morgan H. Lee in 2023

Jen DeLuca is the USA Today bestselling author of the Well Met series, which was inspired by her time volunteering as a pub wench with her local Renaissance Faire. She loves Publix chicken tender subs, cold brew coffee, and the Oxford comma. Jen lives in the Arizona desert with her husband, their rescue dog, and almost too many cats. Learn more at www.jendeluca.com

*Third party links to the publisher's website. May contain affiliate links.

Review: Well Matched by Jen DeLuca

Well Matched is Book #3 in Jen DeLuca's
Well Met Renaissance Faire romance series!

About the Book

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.

My Review

First off, I absolutely LOVE this series! The books are centered around the town’s annual Renaissance Faire and they are completely enchanting! The characters are fun and endearing… well except for April. Ugh. I have never wanted to shake a character more in my life than her. And I know why, because she is exactly like me. A single mom who’s been burned before and stays FAR and WIDE from any mention or interest in the opposite sex for the purposes of dating, and whatnot. But April’s got me beat in the hard-headed department. She was such a hard character to like.

Now our beloved high school gym teacher, coach and kilt-wearing Mitch is a different story. He’s funny and kind and has a heart of gold despite his hound dog persona. Although underneath all the fluff and the easy smiles, Mitch has a lot of depth and some hidden hurts that he hides so seamlessly, not even his closest friends realize it.He’s such an amazing guy and I think he can do better than April the cactus. Double ugh. 

I have been struggling writing this review because I don’t like April’s character. At all. We first meet her in Well Met (Book 1). April is Emily’s older sister and she’s laid up recovering from a car accident so there’s a reason she’s a bit grumpy. April’s the hardened, skeptical character that humbugs things like magic and love… and fun. But it’s okay because she’s a secondary character. 

In Well Played (Book 2) April is more prominent in the series, still a secondary character with the crusty attitude and an easy banter with Mitch. They support Stacey (main character) well and you’re not really affected much by April’s cynicism. 

In Well Matched, April is front and center and so is her hard, inflexible demeanor. And April is NOT a fan of the Renaissance Faire and makes it clear in the previous books as well as this one. April’s character and her dislike of the Faire and pretty much everything else is like a cloud over the story and it feels like some of the original magic of the first two books is dampened in Well Matched.The book is not as fun or as joyful, it really made me sad. However, this in no way will stop me from reading future books in the series. 

Overall, I give the story 4 Stars because Mitch is amazing and the Renaissance Faire never fails to bring good cheer! Huzzah!

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by the publisher in 2021 in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.

Purchase Links*

Penguin Random House

About the Author

Photo: © Morgan H. Lee in 2023

Jen DeLuca is the USA Today bestselling author of the Well Met series, which was inspired by her time volunteering as a pub wench with her local Renaissance Faire. She loves Publix chicken tender subs, cold brew coffee, and the Oxford comma. Jen lives in the Arizona desert with her husband, their rescue dog, and almost too many cats. Learn more at www.jendeluca.com

*Third party links to the publisher's website. May contain affiliate links.

Review: Well Played by Jen DeLuca

Well Played is Book #3 in Jen DeLuca's
Well Met Renaissance Faire romance series!

About the Book

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.

When Stacey imagined "The One," it never occurred to her that her summertime Faire fling, Dex MacLean, might fit the bill. While Dex is easy on the eyes onstage with his band The Dueling Kilts, Stacey has never felt an emotional connection with him. So when she receives a tender email from the typically monosyllabic hunk, she's not sure what to make of it.

Faire returns to Willow Creek, and Stacey comes face-to-face with the man with whom she’s exchanged hundreds of online messages over the past nine months. To Stacey's shock, it isn't Dex—she's been falling in love with a man she barely knows.

My Review

Another winner from Jen DeLuca!

I really loved Stacey's story! She is a fun character and was easy to relate to. I was definitely living vicariously through her and "Dex's" email/text romance.

This book is a little hard to review since I can't really say much without spoiling stuff. If you read the book blurb though, it is revealed that it's not Dex who Stacey has been communicating with. Say what? Oh, there's going to be some more of those moments in the book and you may want to throat punch a character or five.

And there's most definitely a lot of Renaissance Faire action in the story and plenty of page time with many of the awesome characters from the first book! I really enjoyed Well Played and I'm looking forward to the next book!

FTC Disclaimer: I voluntarily read a copy of the book generously provided by the publisher in 2020 in exchange for an honest review. This in no way influences my thoughts or feelings about the book or the content of my review.

Purchase Links*

Penguin Random House

About the Author

Photo: © Morgan H. Lee in 2023

Jen DeLuca is the USA Today bestselling author of the Well Met series, which was inspired by her time volunteering as a pub wench with her local Renaissance Faire. She loves Publix chicken tender subs, cold brew coffee, and the Oxford comma. Jen lives in the Arizona desert with her husband, their rescue dog, and almost too many cats. Learn more at www.jendeluca.com

*Third party links to the publisher's website. May contain affiliate links.