ARC Review: Well Traveled by Jen DeLuca

Well Traveled
Author: Jen DeLuca
Publication: Berkley (December 6, 2022)

Description: 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 Thoughts: This engaging contemporary romance stars lawyer Louisa "Lulu" Malone and Dex MacLean. 

Louisa has been working very hard to fulfill her parents' expectations for her. Seventy hours a week isn't enough to secure her a partnership in the law firm where she works. She finally realizes this while taking an afternoon off by visiting a Renaissance Fair and her phone keeps beeping with messages demanding results she can't deliver. 

A phone call from her demanding boss is the final straw. She quits her job and throws her phone into the Laundry Wenches washtub. 

Luckily, she is welcomed into the world of Renaissance Fairs and soon becomes part of the Dueling Kilts company. The lead singer is Dex MacLean who is the Casanova of all the fairs his group visits. Lulu is attracted but also determined not to become one of his conquests. 

Dex has been happy with his life. Traveling from fair to fair with his brother and cousins, playing his guitar, and loving all the ladies has been enough for him - until he meets Lulu who isn't immediately felled by his charms.

As they travel together for the summer, the pair become closer and fall in love. But fall looks to bring their separation. Lulu wants to work as a lawyer - though not for the huge, soul-destroying company where she worked before - and Dex wants to stay with the fairs and play his music. It looks like sorrow for the both of them until they find a compromise.

This story had a great setting and great characters. This is the fourth book in the series that began with Well Met (2019). It stands alone quite well, but characters from earlier stories do appear in this one. 

Favorite Quote:

"Sit." It may not have been Attorney Voice, but Sasha could sound commanding when she wanted to. I sat like a well-trained puppy, my butt slamming into the seat.

I received this one in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. You can buy your copy here.